


State Your Name

by sunsetseas77



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alex is still mindwiped, Angst, F/F, Identity Issues, Identity Reveal, Loyalty, and set weeks after that episode, mentions of canon-typical violence, pretty much canon compliant through 4x16
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2019-12-18 14:57:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 42,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18252170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunsetseas77/pseuds/sunsetseas77
Summary: A move against Lex Luthor unexpectedly nets his most dangerous weapon. The revelations and responsibilities that result from this impact relationships as Kara and her team work to take down Lex."What she found was what she expected and so much more. The so much more turned her plan of action, and her perception of her life in National City, inside out."Chapters 6-8 posted together.





	1. Chapter 1

They had just managed to defeat the Children of Liberty, over fifty of the group armed with Lex Luthor’s nefarious upgrades attempting to storm an alien refugee center. The mastermind himself had made a brief appearance above as if to take the measure of his improved toys, but he disappeared after only a short stay. He was still a murderous escapee, and he didn’t publicly link himself with the Children. His restraint seemed designed, ironically, to avoid tainting the hate group as a ‘criminal element' in the eyes of the general public.

Another possible reason for his departure showed up soon after. Supergirl arrived to protect the refugee center, ignoring that the DEO, already on scene, officially opposed her. Otherwise occupied, the agents failed to engage the superhero. She was returning from dealing with the distraction of an errant missile system that had been aimed at the city, a ploy that had kept her off-site initially. The agents may have quietly agreed that earned her the right to be ignored back.

The skies remained clear of a second flying blonde alien, at least for this round. She hadn’t been seen since over a week ago when, in a battle with Lex against Supergirl, J'onn, and Dreamer she had suddenly come to a standstill, then sped off. Lex appeared startled before shooting at a few civilians to divert the superheroes, then taking off after her. 

Supergirl continued to look for her at every conflict, and this one was no exception. She shot back into the night without acknowledgement when all the perpetrators had fled or were in or awaiting handcuffs. The DEO personnel headed back to base twenty minutes later.

Her agents had taken some hits, Alex thought as she surveyed the operation’s wrap-up, though she noted that their opponents in need of attention were taking the majority of the medical staff’s time. The unharmed Liberty foot soldiers were already in cells, until some sob story and pressure from Ben Lockwood and his backers swayed the powers that be to order her to release their supposedly misunderstood asses or turn them over to the courts where the charges could be more easily minimized, or records misplaced.

But those low-level individuals weren’t in Director Danvers’ sights. No, she wanted time with the two clear leaders they had picked up. She knew where Colonel Haley’s truth-seeker was now, knew it still existed, and she was going to use it to track down the most wanted man in the world. Authorized or not. This all must end.

Alex caught sight of Agent Vasquez, who had recently been reassigned to DEO headquarters, overseeing the cataloguing of their opponents’ accessories. The director suspected Vasquez was transferred as one of the under-the-radar moves that seemed to be playing out to place people who were considered questionable in terms of loyalty under direct supervision of leaders like Haley. From the conversations they’d had, Vasquez hadn’t changed allegiance from earlier days.

She moved across the room then, gesturing subtly as she passed the weapons team, and Vasquez, picking up on it, excused herself. 

“Some help here?” Alex asked as Vasquez came alongside and matched her stride. She was certain they’d only have one chance at this. Recent history said the two would be out of DEO custody by morning.

Vasquez nodded. “Whatever you need,” she whispered back.

Alex’s best-laid plans, or as close as she got to such things, were not to be. Just as they rounded the corner to a place to explain, Alex’s phone buzzed. She looked down to find a name she couldn’t ignore.

“We’ll do this later,” she said without hesitation. Vasquez might have those in high places concerned, but Alex saw the response she was counting on. Without breaking stride, the agent responded, “Of course. Find me then,” and disappeared back the way they had come.

“Thanks for your help with that cycling pulse tech, Lena,” Alex greeted her. “We were able to fight them off and arrest most of them.”

Silence followed and Alex checked to make sure she was still connected.

“Alex,” she heard as she put the phone back to her ear, “you need to get here. Now.”

Lena enunciated every word, as if she was considering each syllable carefully before uttering it. The intensity radiating through completely flat inflection had Alex straightening, adrenaline poised to hit.

“Where?”

“L Corp. Just you, and don’t tell anyone you’re coming. No one. Understand?”

“If you’re in danger, say ‘Transmatter portals are fastest’.” Alex glanced around for the nearest exit with a vehicle she could sprint to.

“I could use your help here. And I would tell you about transmatter portals every time I talked to you if we’re being honest about my safety, especially with my dear brother running loose. Nothing's imminent, but that could always change.” Lena’s tone remained flat. “Tell no one.”

The repeated command pricked at her. “Who would I tell? I think you know the situation here given how certain system switches work.”

The pause was one she would describe as pregnant before Lena broke it, “Kara?”

“Why would I tell my reporter sister about what I assume is DEO-related business?”

She swore she heard the faintest sigh. “Fine. Go to the sidewalk at the west side entrance to L Corp and call me. Soon.”

Alex closed her eyes and ran fingers across her brow, indulging in one quick massage to try to ratchet the stress back down from sky-high to significantly elevated. “I’m on my way.”

\--

Alex hooked her helmet to her bike and took a circuitous route to the side of the skyscraper. Lena had emphasized a need for speed, but this was one of those rarer times Alex chose to exercise caution. Lena could be commanding, come across as cold, or both, but that call – from her interactions with Lena, Alex would say she seemed rattled by the way she had presented the completely opposite front. The whole exchange had Alex on edge.

Her call was picked up before the first ring ended. She whirled as a car came to life behind her, the purr of a powerful engine spoken over by a voice with a bit of tightness slipping through. Not that Alex wanted Lena anxious, but it was good to hear something in her voice. “Get in the blue Acura pulling up to you.”

Alex whistled low as the blue pearl Acura NSX came level with her, still wary of whatever was going on but appreciative of the craftsmanship. “Gladly.”

She opened the door and ducked to get down into the seat, ready to hang up. “Thanks for the li…” She stopped and put her phone back up. “Are you kidding me?!” She continued to climb in. “You have a self-driving, $175,000 sports car?”

“Not exactly, but close enough,” Lena’s voice came through the speaker. 

When Alex closed her door, the windows darkened and the locks set. Her eyes flitted around as her hand raised to where her sidearm was nestled. “Lena, what’s going on?”

“I'm bringing you to where I am, and I’d be more comfortable if no one knows where that is yet and if I know you’re safe. I’d appreciate it if you’d trust me on this.”

“Do I have a choice?” Alex returned more harshly than intended.

“Of course,” Lena sounded surprised. “Just say the word and I’ll drop you at your vehicle. I can do this alone. But I think you’ll want to see this.”

Alex stared at the sound system, certain there was a camera mounted in it. She shook her head at it, before resigning herself to possibly one more less than optimal decision. 

“Get me to you,” she exhaled, buckling up before leaning her head back on the rest and closing her eyes. “Do I have time for a nap?”

“Maybe. But radar doesn’t detect this car. You may want to make sure you’re well-secured first.”

\--

Lena leaned back from the dim light of the workstation, settling deeper into her chair as she kept her eyes on the car’s movements. Fingers traced the rim of a tumbler of scotch – half-circle slip, stop, reverse, repeat the pattern until the far-flung thoughts coalesce and point to a best path forward.

At the very least this step she'd chose was going to lose her one more secure location. That’s what you get when you decide to do good, she thought to herself. Always sharing information with all of those allies. Times like these she could see where villains had a valid argument for ‘go it alone.’ It really saved on startup costs and prime real estate.

She had almost activated the two-way car camera to talk to Alex face-to-face. But she didn’t know how much she could keep out of her expression and that mattered because, yes, she was planning to ambush Alex when she got here. Just not in a way that Alex would predict. Best to keep the advantage in order to get Alex as off-balance as possible. She knew Alex as straightforward, practical, and smart, but she also knew she could be cunning, and one of her strongest traits was loyalty. Where that last lay in this situation could be quite convoluted.

Lena herself was shaken from earlier and needed to reclaim a steady hand and head for what was to come. Information on a small, nondescript facility where Lex held weapons for distribution had made its way to her, and she had been on alert for the opportunity to use it. News of potential Children of Liberty activity, which Lex had started to be seen at, had her prepped and ready to go.

She infiltrated the site with relative ease. What she found was what she expected and so much more. The so much more turned her plan of action, and her perception of her life in National City, on its head.

She glanced over at the containment structure, repaired after Reign’s breakout, and moved and reinforced when news of yet another possible Kryptonian started to circulate. She had hoped to never have to employ it in a similar manner to Reign’s situation again, especially after her conversation with Supergirl about how kryptonite felt. But with insufficient data to calculate risk, her choices had been limited.

The room encased by the structure glowed slightly brighter than its surroundings but not enough to mask the light green that emanated from a point near the bed. The source sat close to a blonde woman who seemed to be sleeping fitfully. When she tossed and turned, she would speak, but wouldn’t wake.

Lena had found her in an only slightly more conscious and coherent state, restrained by more ruthless means. The words had been repeating at irregular intervals since she discovered her - a couple of questions on why and who in a Russian dialect, and a statement in English - followed by a whimper or silence.

Lena heard the latter now as she turned back to Alex’s progress towards them, words that jabbed at her even though she’d heard them for over two hours now. English was muttered with an accent, the words just recognizable: “I am Kara Danvers.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The mindwipe causes complications - Alex and Lena heavy, but others will start showing up

Alex jerked awake as the smooth ride turned rougher. Going off-road in this car would be inadvisable, but it was definitely not on asphalt anymore. She relaxed back into the seat, feeling the vibrations transmitted through the wheels, and recognized a transition to packed gravel.

A look at the time displayed on the dash told her she’d been out for a shorter period than she’d imagined the journey would take. Her reach for her phone stopped as she noticed the windows lose their tint and a dark wall looming ahead. Just as she braced for impact, the barrier swung open into a lighted garage. The car glided smoothly to a halt.

Exiting it, Alex shifted to full agent mode. She trusted Lena, but no one could deny that things could sometimes be complicated and exceedingly dangerous around the CEO. It was best to be prepared.

She surveyed the still area, searching for a clue to her next step. Her phone’s buzz caused her to jump, more skittish than she’d realized.

“No welcoming party?” she asked, burying nerves in bravado. She’d always believed she did bravado well.

“I’m busy up here,” came the reply. “There’s a door behind you to the right. Follow the stairs up two levels. It’s obvious from there.”

\--

Lena set the phone down and ran fingers through her hair. Over an hour spent deliberating on the Danvers group, truths and falsehoods of her life in National City, what she could predict about the next minutes, how they had ended up in this situation, and it was all a massive muddle.

Her contemplation of the crux of this, the younger Danvers, vexed her most. Kara Danvers had been enigmatic from the beginning. Who attached themselves so freely, without expectations or self-serving agenda, to someone with Lena’s name and reputation, and made a person like her feel wanted?

Kara had, and Lena, reeling from the loss of her brother, her city, her partner, her work, everything in life that she’d valued at that point, was caught off-guard. She found herself falling into this shining woman’s orbit, her customary caution and deflection abandoned somewhere she couldn’t quite pinpoint along the way.

Lena had cherished every interaction, her faith in the fact that she was someone that another could value gradually being restored. Her impression of Kara’s trustworthiness survived challenge after challenge as Kara remained by her side.

Their initial relationship was healing for her, and Lena had found herself falling in another way. But even when something seemed to flow below the surface between them, she’d kept her feelings to herself. She was certain Kara wouldn’t be interested in her in that way. Glances caught out of the corner of Lena’s eye couldn’t sway her opinion. And Kara also made no overt move.

Their relationship had changed from her borderline infatuation of that first year, she could acknowledge that. They still saw each other, sought each other out, enjoyed each other’s company, confided even, but a distance appeared and lingered. The invasion was what Lena traced the cracks to, and that was understandable at the time knowing what happened in Kara’s life and what Lena presumed to be her role in it. Adding in the secret identity information strengthened Lena’s conclusion; the wider story brought a clarity that reinforced Kara being Supergirl.

She’d thought then Kara would eventually recover from what Lena had read as grief, and their friendship would revert to previous form. Instead, looking back over their history, the unacknowledged slowing of the rebuilding of their relationship seemed to coincide with the DEO’s discovery of Reign at L Corp. The blow-up over the kryptonite, Kara’s odd intercession in it, that made sense to Lena now. The reaching out by both personas, which had been perplexing, she saw was Kara trying to place a band-aid on what Kara must have realized was a gaping wound in their friendship and Lena at the time considered more of a mid-level cut to her relationship with Supergirl.

To fully perceive the imbalance that had developed between them, Lena just had to look back with her newly gained knowledge at those days of Reign. It may not have been conscious, but she’d felt and reacted to the shift. Reflecting, she realized it had played into her reticence to reveal her medical testing with Harun-el she had synthesized and her role with Lex.

She couldn’t stop herself from wondering how much of what had gone on between her and Kara from that period was an ulterior motive for befriending her coming through. A Super trusting a Luthor – maybe, in some carefree, first-blush of acquaintance and overtures. But Lena couldn’t dismiss the strong probability that Kara reassessed their relationship of her own accord or under pressure from others as time went on.

Lena had proven herself again and again. She might not often feel worthy, but she knew, logically, her efforts made a strong case. Yet Kara had chosen to maintain the charade. It was certainly possible their relationship had always been a tool, a means to keep a Luthor close.

Such thoughts caused an ache inside her. The shift between them hadn’t changed the fundamental importance that Kara had grown to have in Lena’s life. It also didn’t help that a part of that ache came from the fact that after two years she still hadn’t expelled the deeper feelings she wouldn’t act on. And she’d boosted the misery since getting the other Kara to the confinement chamber by chiding herself repeatedly for her ignorance.

The complicated emotions all of this stirred in her had Lena resolved to not contact Kara until she had them completely in check. That, and she wanted more information about Kara’s identical before bringing in the superhero. Insuring she was sufficiently informed before any type of confrontation was a habit of hers.

Lena shook her head, trying to knock the sticky web of Kara-related strands away. She had given much of her time to thinking about Kara, but truly the younger Danvers could wait. What was imminent was the arrival of the person she believed she currently could work with.

The more pragmatic, and therefore to Lena more relatable, Danvers was fiercely protective of her younger sister. But, with the possible exception of that weird mind valley, Lena hadn’t been able to recall a time that Alex had attacked her in any way. And recently, as Lena had become more integrated into Kara’s social circle and had worked at the DEO, Alex hadn’t stood in the way of other’s connections to her. At times, Alex even seemed welcoming.

Lena knew her life hadn't given her the best evaluation skills in the realm of personal relationships, but she'd thought the two of them might be growing into a place of faux surly exchanges and begrudging goodwill underlain by respect. Throw into the mix that Alex had been unusually ambivalent about Supergirl in recent months and Lena wasn’t certain about what Alex would do in the face of Lena’s last few hours. Alex was going to be interesting to handle, she’d concluded, which was another way to say the agent could be difficult to predict. Lena had to be on alert for all possibilities.

And finally, there was Lex’s involvement in this. She looked over to what she believed to be Supergirl’s carbon copy, down to the alter ego, resting quietly on the bed. How had he come to be allied with Kara Danvers, or some version of the Kara that Lena knew? With the probable existence of the multiverse - Winn had been an over-sharer of top secret information when engrossed in work, but she was never going to mention that - and the actual existence of aliens with a variety of powers, why would another Kara be impossible? It was more that big-picture-wise a second Kara changed everything given the first Kara was the most powerful being on the planet. But the Kara that Lena knew was a powerful being whose actions were controlled primarily by a strong moral code that kept her from joining up with the Lex Luthors of the world.

Even as Lena pondered the major questions, her mind refused to stop running through that distracting and personal train of thought: her closest friend was the most powerful being on the planet. She couldn’t deny it. And she couldn’t stop mentally chewing on how she had been blind to that fact.

A fortified door between the stairwell and Lena’s location required her to answer a pounding that pulled her out of her thoughts. Time was up.

Alex entered in boots, black jeans, and a leather jacket that suggested she got to L Corp on her bike. Lena adjusted her position to block Alex’s wider view of the room for just a few seconds more.

“Nice place you’ve got here.”

“Thanks. I decided L Corp wasn’t appropriate. Lex is familiar with its underground labs. If they knew, my employees would thank me for not painting a bigger bullseye on the place.”

“Hmm. Considerate of you.” Alex’s desire to learn why Lena had insisted she come here had increased with every stair she’d climbed, and she gave up on the small talk. “Do I get to find out why I’m here now?”

Lena braced herself internally. She’d enjoyed the camaraderie she and Alex had built over the last several months, and she knew it could disappear in a matter of minutes if Alex viewed her knowing about Kara as a significant threat. But a common understanding of the situation needed to exist between them to plan next steps. “We’ll just get this over with” she said, backing away.

Alex’s eyes went wide in shock as the entire room became visible. She raced to the shielded wall and stopped, staring at the woman dressed in a form-fitting grey track suit whose face was completely visible. “Where did she come from?”

“Lex.”

“Lex?! How ….?” Realization dawned in an instant and Alex turned back, exasperation flaring. “You knew about the attack. You gambled on Lex being with them.” She paused, logical thought jumping to the forefront to calm her irritation and center her on working through events. “But how did you know where to find her?”

“I didn’t.” Lena walked over to join Alex. “I was following a lead on his weapon prototypes. I found her too.”

Alex surveyed every aspect of the chamber until her attention fixed on the green. “That’s synthetic kryptonite, isn’t it?”

Lena nodded.

“We should talk about that later.” The woman lying in front of Alex confounded her, causing a head shake. “The resemblance to Supergirl is astonishing. The kryptonite - you know she’s Kryptonian?”

Lena rolled her eyes. She had predicted something like this was going to be the initial reaction and had decided to lay it all on the table from the outset. “Yes, she’s Kryptonian. It’s not just a resemblance, as I’m sure you’ve all discussed, it’s the exact same face. I asked you here because I thought you’d see the issues we have to address with this Kryptonian now that I have her. And you, as someone invested in protecting Supergirl, I thought you’d want to expedite efforts to do so.

“From working together, you know I’m an ally with useful resources. And I’m not a threat to Supergirl,” she paused before making the jump, “or her alter ego. Because I found out her identity, unintentionally.” Alex shot her a startled look, but Lena hurried on, “But that allows us to talk freely, and you can share with me what you and J’onn and Brainy, and of course Kara, think is going on. I’m committed to resolving this. I have a personal stake in it because of Kara, and because of Lex’s role. I know that Supergirl is Kara. Let’s not play dumb anymore and we can get to work.”

Alex had been following along but was taken aback by the final point of Lena’s declaration. Certainly, if kryptonite affected the woman, then likely she was Kryptonian, and they’d have to figure out where she’d come from, including consideration of the possibility she was connected to Supergirl. And Alex believed Lena was an ally who was worth having in difficult situations. But that this directly involved Kara because Kara was Supergirl…that was shockingly wrong.

“You want me to confirm my sister is Kryptonian?” Alex asked to verify her interpretation.

Lena nodded. “We need trust and truth to tackle this. We can’t work to learn what this woman is and why she’s here and ignore that Kara Danvers is part of the equation. She’s a version of Kara, a copy, something. She’s identified herself as Kara Danvers, not Supergirl, even when unconscious. She’s here somehow. Maybe something happened directly to Kara. Maybe it didn’t, and she’s an independent entity. Her involvement in murder and mayhem suggests the possibility of a completely different character, though that doesn’t automatically rule out a connection. But your sister has to be a part of figuring that out.”

“But Kara’s not Supergirl,” Alex countered. “I’ve known her for 15 years. She’s never done anything vaguely all-powerful. Not to mention I’ve worked with Supergirl. They’re not the same person.”

Lena had suspected she’d get a response along the spectrum of acceptance to threats, not Alex directly contradicting her over them needing to include Kara to fix this. She’d thought Alex’s concern for her sister would overcome her commitment to the lie; surely Lena knowing was the lesser threat.

“Alex, you know she is,” Lena tried again. “You can react, but denial isn’t an option if we’re going to fix this. If my response to this revelation is a factor here, I can assure you that I’m not angry,” she lied. “So just say it.”

“I’m not denying,” Alex repeated, not sure what was causing Lena’s persistence. “I’m stating the truth.”

Lena walked to the other side of the containment structure, reviewing Alex’s position. The simplicity of her relationship with Kara in the scenario Alex defended was appealing. But since the woman under Lex’s control had stated her name as Kara, so many moments Lena had repressed or ignored, just happy to spend time with her friend, had come into focus.

She couldn't fathom why Alex would cling to this story. She thought the two of them had established a rapport that would allow Alex to acknowledge Lena’s change in status, to allow her into the inner circle. It was frustrating that Alex hadn’t done so, but what was particularly strange was the conviction that radiated from Alex.

They both tensed as the woman between them started to move.

A few words filled the room as they had before in a Kaznian dialect of Russian. Then, “I’m Kara,” was mumbled and she dropped back into slumber.

Alex furrowed her brow, waiting for more that didn’t come. “That’s it? Just because she does that in her sleep doesn’t offset a half a lifetime of experiences with Kara,” she stated.

Lena had dealt with plenty of intransigence in her life, both personally and professionally. Alex was the key to gaining the open communication she'd need with allies to defeat Lex and protect the people she cared about.

She rubbed her temples to fortify herself and took a different tack. “Alright. Tell me about part of her life story then to show me I’m wrong,” she said. She realized a cover story would be in place but maybe she could pick it apart and sway Alex to admit the truth.

Alex relaxed, certain in proving her position. “What do you want to know?”

“Let’s start with how she came to live with you.”

“Her parents died in a fire.”

Lena crossed her arms and started to pace on her side of the chamber. “You knew them?”

“No,” Alex answered, watching Lena reach up to fiddle with the scoop neckline of her black shirt and then the opal pendant above it on her necklace as she paced. “My parents, Eliza and Jeremiah, knew her extended family.”

“Why didn’t she stay with the extended family?”

“With him. He wasn’t ready to take in a girl in her early teens.”

At Alex’s answer, a prickling suspicion lit through Lena’s mind and she inhaled deeply. “Did he bring her to you?”

“Her cousin? Yes.”

With the familial connection, reinforcement of her conclusion brought her questions to a momentary halt. “Superman,” slipped out of Lena’s mouth.

Alex’s eyes widened. “What? No. Clark brought her to us.”

Lena’s hand on the pendant tightened into a fist until she forced it back open. She kept her voice calm.

“Clark Kent?”

Alex watched her, uncertain why this seemed significant to Lena. “Yes. Did Kara tell you they were cousins when you met the two of them?”

Well Lex, Lena thought, this is one for the column of what we Luthor kids have in common. “No, she didn’t,” she responded, keeping her voice calm. “Clark Kent’s also adopted, isn’t he? I recall Lex mentioning something like that once.”

“That’s right, those two were friends, weren’t they? Sometimes that’s easy to forget.” Alex tried to extract a memory of Clark and Lex, but it was fuzzy. She briefly pondered why she couldn’t grasp it, but any urgency to do so disappeared, and she continued, “Yeah, I think he is. Why is that important?”

“His only family is Kara?” Lena queried back.

“I believe so,” Alex said. She again sensed mental resistance to either recognizing what Lena was getting at or being able to effectively counter it with information, and it was starting to bother her. Her mind purposely seemed to swerve away from or slide past points that were worthy of investigation, and then they no longer seemed important and she moved on.

Lena paused in her questioning. Alex wasn’t acknowledging the path being laid in front of her, which was very unlike the Alex she had worked with, the one whom she'd seen digging into things, anticipating next steps. Alex was almost passive, and it seemed to be frustrating her as well. Something was going on here, something Lena wasn’t privy to. Figuring it out might be the crucial first step to resolving the identity impasse. Alex had referred to her memories of Kara more than once; these warranted further investigation, but not this instant.

“Maybe we should agree to disagree and see what comes out when she wakes up,” Lena offered, trying to step back from the adversarial feeling that had risen between them. “It's late. We’re both tired.”

Their exchange and her brief assessment of the workings of her mind had left Alex unsettled and she jumped at the reprieve. “Yeah, I think that would be good.”

Lena returned to her desk chair, but Alex remained standing, hands resting on her hips and attention on the doppelganger.

“When do you think she'll wake up?” 

“I don’t know,” Lena responded, looking over. “Lex had her under one of his portable red sun gizmos that he tried to perfect for years but never quite did. She also had bracelets, a collar, and a belt on capable of conducting electrical charges.”

Alex blinked long and slow. “That is….inhumane. But I guess not surprising. No security?” She looked to Lena.

“Most of the people there were Liberty minions watching over the weapons I was after. I changed my plan when I stumbled across her first. Otis Graves was her guard. I got my revenge for that chloroforming when I laid him out on the concrete. He never knew what hit him.”

Alex smiled thinly at Lena’s defiant tone, remembering finding Lena in the aftermath of Graves’ handiwork.

“She was able to move but barely coherent,” Lena continued. “When I got to her she looked at me like she knew me, then told me she was sorry, that she was wrong about him – I assumed she meant Lex. She told me her name when I asked. With the state she was in, I had to get her out of there. And she is Lex’s most dangerous weapon. I took a calculated risk by removing her from a controlled environment long enough to transport her here, but it paid off.”

“Getting her here was good,” Alex agreed. “But now she's under kryptonite.”

“It’s a low exposure; I synthesized a minimal amount in case this structure was needed when she appeared next to Lex with the powers she had. I’m better versed than Lex on the nuance of subduing Kryptonians, but I know.” Bits of Supergirl’s diatribe about kryptonite ran through Lena’s mind. “Until we can question her, there’s no way of assessing the threat she poses other than her past actions. Maybe things can change after we talk to her.”

“You’re not going to bring anyone else in until then, are you?” Alex asked, thinking about J’onn, Brainy, and Supergirl herself.

Lena gave a non-committal huff. She wanted Alex with her on this first, and she wasn’t sure how that was going to happen yet. She was at least pleased that Alex hadn’t balked at her producing kryptonite to address a clear and pleasant danger; that was a good sign. “We’ll see,” she answered.

Alex returned to considering the woman in the confinement field. “Why do you think he was hurting her? And why did she apologize to you?”

“It’s probable he’s manipulated her,” Lena voiced her thoughts from the past hours. “I don’t know where he found her or in what state but even if she’s connected to Supergirl it doesn’t mean she’s connected to Supergirl’s core being. She may not have had any foundational experiences to fall back on. That would make her highly susceptible to Lex’s mind games.

“At the same time, she may have some of Kara’s, of Supergirl’s, qualities. When she took off from that last confrontation she was at… I know my brother and he didn’t expect that. I think something happened that day, something that put her in opposition to him and made her refuse to fight. I think punishment was a part of his attempt to bring her back to his side.”

“That would be very messed up,” Alex commented, a kernel of compassion forming in her.

“And very in character for Lex,” Lena added on. 

Silence fell between them for a few minutes, each caught in her own thoughts.

Alex broke it, “Would I be safe in there with my gun? I feel like someone should be, I don’t know, with her, even knowing what she’s been accused of and that you're just speculating.”

Lena looked over the readouts and thought carefully about it, weighing the risk of Alex taking the role she traditionally did with Kara though she may not consciously realize it. “She’s still weak. You should be reasonably safe,” she told her. “But your first response if anything goes sideways is to get out of there, not to engage.” 

Lena watched Alex enter the field and pull up a chair beside the bed. She made sure all countermeasures were ready to go and then turned back to determining the questions she had for their ‘guest’.

\---

The woman on the bed shifting prodded Alex to lift her head from her dozing state as her exhaustion from the last 36 hours pleaded for her to lay her head back again. Half-conscious, she instead looked down to find a small crinkle joined by a familiar pout right as bright blue eyes opened and looked back at her, genuine happiness filling them. The way facial muscles shifted as cheeks lifted and tightened, powering the smile that appeared – she knew the sequence and its end result, had been on the receiving end of this outpouring of feeling countless times. 

“Alex,” her name was uttered with gentleness, stretched out and just above a whisper in a voice that Alex could pick out of any crowd. Alex stared back, stunned, as she realized that Lena was right. It should be impossible, but somehow this was Kara.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red Daughter has some things to tell them.
> 
> Linda Lee tagged with Red Daughter cause that tag exists now.

Alex held the woman’s gaze for a few seconds before her brain registered that she was facing her sister, or a version of her sister, who happened to be a superpowered alien that had attacked and killed people. Her eyes widened and she jerked to an upright position, her hand sliding towards her gun only to stop when the possibility of provoking a reaction occurred to her.

She heard Lena behind her scrambling fingers across keyboards, heightening the tension. The architect of this structure had multiple safeguards in place, but, when she went in, Lena hadn’t ruled out that Alex might have to make a break for it.

You’re a professional, get it together, Alex scolded herself. She’d been in situations more perilous than this, probably, and just had to tap into her training on being across from a potentially lethal opponent.

She forced her shoulders down. She hadn’t broken eye contact the entire time and she schooled her expression back to neutral. The other woman’s eyes had hesitation in them now, but the smile hadn’t abated.

“Alex,” she said again, and the accent was obvious this time. “You’re here.” She sounded happy about it as she pushed the pillows under her higher on the head of the bed and propped herself into a sitting position.

“I am,” Alex replied, mentally scrambling for next words. “How are you feeling?” she settled on.

“Not good. Weak. But better than I was. Everything is a little, murky, I think you would say. I remember Lena finding and helping me. Did she bring me here?”

“Yes,” Alex replied. 

The Kara look-alike pushed herself up further and tilted her head to look around Alex and find Lena before collapsing back onto her pillows. “I should thank her.”

“You can soon,” Alex assured her. “And it’s good you feel better.” It was time to roll out a prime question. “Can you tell me your name?”

“You don’t know who I am?” the woman asked, squinting at her.

“I know who you look like. But that doesn’t answer the question,” Alex said, sticking with Interviewing Perpetrators 101. “It adds to the confusion.” She hunched over, resting her forearms on her upper legs, leaning towards the bed to exude interest.

“I’m Kara,” she said firmly with a head bob. “Danvers. But you can call me Linda if that is easier for you.”

“I see,” Alex mused, partly for her audience. “You do look like Kara, the one I know. And your voice sounds like her. But, where did Linda come from? With your accent, I’m wondering. That’s not a Slavic name is it?” 

“No. Lex gave it to me to use when I visited America.”

“Oh.” Alex glanced away at mention of Lex to check on Lena, finding her standing over her desk, hands planted on it, looking at the two of them. She gave a furtive thumbs up to Alex to let her know things were secure on her side.

“And you know who I am if you’re Kara Danvers, right?” Alex looked back to Linda who was methodically stroking the fuzzy blanket that covered her.

“I didn’t at first,” Linda said. “But I learned from Lex about Supergirl’s life, that she had a human family. And you and I met once.”

The furious thought process that the first answer had initiated was overwhelmed by surprise with that last detail, and Alex just kept herself from pulling away. She tried to keep any emotions that could be interpreted as negative out of her voice, “Really? How did that happen?”

“Lex left me at Kara’s apartment, in December. To learn about her, to show me more about her life. And you dropped by unexpectedly to take care of plants.”

Alex heard Lena’s soft curse behind them. With Alex now in agreement with Lena on the identity this woman claimed, it was an unspoken understanding that Lex likely knew Supergirl’s secret. But it was frightening that he had accessed Kara’s apartment months ago. How long had they all been blissfully ignorant of this danger they were in?

“Right,” Alex said, maintaining a calm expression, “that would have been when Kara was in Smallville.”

“I don’t know where she was,” the woman replied, a crinkle appearing briefly between her eyes. “But I was happy to know your name and to meet you.”

“I appreciate that,” Alex emphasized. “You’ve been a surprise, but I’m glad we’re talking now.” She wasn’t sure how smart it was, but she reached out and covered Linda’s hand on the blanket before returning her arm to her own leg again. The other woman tracked the motion and then looked back at her, the uncertainty lessened and the smile brighter.

A minimum of guilt hit Alex for implementing such tactics; they needed to know what was going on. “It seems like you have some information about our Kara Danvers, but not all of it,” she continued. She went for the sympathetic questioner with her next words, trying to make this seem more two-way, even if she didn’t intend it to be. “Do you have questions for me?”

Linda yawned. “I do but not now. I’m tired. Maybe tomorrow. You can ask a few more though.” She reminded Alex so strongly of Kara then, an eagerness to help apparent.

Behind Alex, Lena stood within arms reach of the different programs or weapons that might be needed, depending how this went. She was impressed by Alex’s poise. She knew that the DEO director had courage, was proficient in interrogations, and could project a natural empathy, but given the revelations of the last hour or so, Alex was doing an incredible job of holding her position and tone to keep from startling or appearing threatening to her sister/not-sister.

She would prefer Alex was on the outside of the shield. They had some tougher questions to ask Linda – Lena wasn’t thinking of her as Kara – and they might set off a more visceral response. Linda wasn’t powered back up yet, but her strength would reach levels above a human’s unless Lena adjusted the kryptonite levels to a more toxic exposure. She didn’t want to do that without cause from their current interactions. But that meant even in a weakened state Linda might be able to hurt Alex if she caught her unawares.

Alex’s dive into the next round of questions made it clear to Lena that she had no intention of saving the difficult material for later, but rather wanted to gather as much intelligence as fast as possible.

“You’re happy to be here?” Alex took Linda up on her offer.

“I feel safer,” Linda answered.

“But you were working with Lex, who’s working against us. Then you disappeared. And then Lena found you, guarded by Graves and hooked up to equipment to hurt you.” Alex noticed Linda’s hand gripping the blanket, but she wasn’t tearing it or grinding it to fuzzy molecules between her fingers. “Why was Lex treating you like that?”

“Because I betrayed him,” Linda said, a frown forming for the first time since she’d awakened. “I refused to fight for him anymore.”

“What happened to make you refuse?”

Linda’s frown deepened, but the earnestness as she looked at Alex was palpable. “After the White House, the next time I showed myself was at the fight near the university. I had just thrown Supergirl into a parking garage when I saw you get struck and you hit the ground so hard. You were hurt. The Martian was beside you right away and then your Kara went straight to you. I saw that, I felt it. And I understood it. I was supposed to be there. Lex said she and I were like sisters. But we’re not, and I knew then. I’m somehow her. She’s your sister. You’re my Alex.”

Alex looked away, unexpectedly affected. This woman, this Kara, talking so intensely about a bond that she felt with Alex, a stranger but also to her a sister, on top of the whole Kara as Supergirl revelation tapped into deep emotions and questions. They broke the surface for her to grapple with in a case of unfortunate timing. 

Lena stepped out from the desk, sending a question into the silence left as Alex struggled to keep emotions controlled, “What do you mean by ‘my Alex’?”

Linda looked over at her. “Alex – that’s all I remembered. When I got to the Kaznian base after suddenly being on that windy plain with my mind empty from before. When I tried to think about anything at first, there was that name. It stayed with me. When I was startled in the forest and my heat vision unintentionally activated, I accidentally killed some of the soldiers with me. They shocked me out of the sky. I hit the ground thinking ‘Alex’. The name was my first and only memory. And I knew Alex was who had been there for me, before.”

Lena watched Alex, head still tilted down, place fingers on her forehead. It was unsettling to catch the motion of Alex’s thumb wiping the corner of her eye, showing this was taking a toll on her.

Before she could intercede, Linda went on, “And then he came. The first time I met him, I’d fought off criminals attacking a boy. The others were afraid to approach me, but he wasn’t. I asked him who he was, and he said “Lex.” I thought I’d found the answer, the person I knew. I said ‘Alex?’ and he said ‘Sure’.” Her voice turned bitter and her face rippled with pain. “I was just happy to find the only connection I knew. I was fooled by him.”

Even suspecting Lex had manipulated this woman, Lena had to look away for a moment, horrified as she realized the way, according to Linda’s story, that Lex had done so. He’d had a good idea whom he’d found. He’d known what the probable connection this Kara was searching for was, must have already known Supergirl's secret identity. And he’d gone on to confirm the identity and exploit the link in the vilest way possible.

Alex’s head jerked up when Linda talked about Lex claiming her name. “He said he was Alex?” Her voice was harsh, fighting to remain even.

“Yes.” Linda’s eyes were glistening with moisture.

“For how long?”

“The timing's difficult," Linda answered haltingly. "I was inside a lot at first. I wasn’t at the base too long before he came. Overall, my memories go back less than a year, I think.”

Hearing the timeframe and Linda’s shakiness, Alex buried her feelings and focused on the person across from her. “I’m sorry,” she said, looking at Linda and covering her hand one more time, leaving their hands together.

She knew this could all be an elaborate ruse on Lex and Linda’s part, but the thought of Kara alone and helpless somewhere shifted her protectiveness into overdrive. And during this helplessness, influence had been exerted by a man who had co-opted Alex’s name, her connections. Anger was building to parallel the hurt and the sting of tears was in her eyes.

Lena, seeing the state of both, stepped in. “I think we need a break. Linda, you need to rest,” she said. “And Alex, we have to talk about next steps.”

“I can help,” Linda insisted.

“And we’ll get to that,” Lena assured her. “Alex.”

Alex reacted instantly at what she heard in Lena’s voice, removing her hand and moving to and through the shield as it was deactivated and reconstructed in a second.

She turned back to the chamber, trying to leave the detainee with something after her rapid exit. “One of us will be here. You won’t be alone.”

“But you’re afraid of me,” Linda stated.

Lena could see Alex at a loss. She spoke directly, reminding everyone where they stood, even with the shared emotional experience, “Yes. Remember – ‘let them hate as long as they fear’. You brought both.”

“I don’t want either anymore. I was wrong, but I understand I earned them. I hope I can reverse that,” Linda said, sounding resigned. She rolled to face away from them, pulling the blanket tightly around her.

Alex felt wrung out by the conversation as she walked over to re-join Lena at her workstation.

“Can she hear us?” she asked.

“She shouldn’t be able to hear beyond about five feet outside the shield and I can change that if necessary,” Lena replied. “We’re good.”

“I think my mind is going to snap.” Alex placed her hand on her chest and pushed. “Or my heart. I shouldn’t feel this way given her actions, but what Lex has done to her, if she’s telling the truth…I want to snap him. And, even if this is all a trick, I believe she’s somehow Kara,” Alex pushed the last out in a long exhale.

“I do too,” Lena agreed. She noticed Alex’s hand pushing on herself and the other clenching and unclenching. 

“That was a lot,” Lena went on, placing a hand on Alex’s shoulder. “Why don’t you go up one flight, through the door and to the left? There’s living quarters up there and a balcony. Take your boots off. Get some fresh air. Splash water on your face. Do what you need to and then come back.” 

Knowing the respite would help, Alex nodded. “Thanks.”

As she pushed through the door, Lena turned her attention back to the readouts. They indicated Linda wasn’t asleep yet. Curiosity got the better of her and she walked over to the structure, scuffing flat shoes just enough to announce her presence when she was close.

She waited quietly. Just as she was ready to give up, the blonde woman turned over and blue eyes opened, making Lena’s breath catch.

Lena pushed past it. “You said you wanted to help. Could you explain something?”

“I can try,” Linda replied.

“What you told Alex - we’ve met before too, haven’t we?” Lena probed. “When you apologized when I found you, it was like we had.”

Linda sat up, considering her, before speaking, “Yes, during that same time. I talked to you on the elevator.” That confirmed Lena’s expectation given the timing of meeting Alex and what had been an awkward exchange with ‘Kara’. “I wanted to meet Kara’s friend, the one she believed in so strongly.”

The characterization confused Lena. “Lex told you that?” 

“No, Lex told me other things about you,” Linda said. 

Other things that likely weren't positive sounded more like her brother. Linda’s next statement surprised her. “I read that about you in Kara’s journal. And you were kind and happy to see me. It made sense on paper and in person that she felt so strongly about you. I could tell you had a strong bond from your reaction.” 

Lena had to backtrack. “You read her journal?”

“I shouldn’t have, but at the time Lex told me that she and I had a connection and I wanted to know her.”

“She mentioned me?” Lena asked, conflicted by intense interest and how teenaged the question sounded.

“Yes, often. She was proud of what you accomplished, impressed by how brave you were. Humans are so frail, but you wouldn’t let anything intimidate you. She hadn’t told you her secret, but you know it now. It’s good she finally did.” 

Lena’s deeply ingrained discipline kept her from visibly reacting as the last sentence hit her like a kick to the stomach.

“I wanted to meet you because you were important to Lex too,” Linda was still talking, and then paused to yawn. “But he had a different impression than Kara. He told me you were smart and capable, but a disappointment. Afterwards, I suspected he was lying or maybe jealous. I asked him why Kara had friends like you if she was so terrible and he got angry.

“He was kind to me at first and made me feel like part of something. I didn’t think about it as much as I should have even when he told I disappointed after I questioned him about Kara’s journal, and Alex, and you.”

“Lex hasn’t been truly kind in years,” Lena said, thoughtful, “but it took me years to recognize that. He’s a psychopath and that makes it easier for him to deceive people. Sometimes I ask myself whether he was ever truly kind.” She stopped at that last aside and redirected herself off the road to melancholy.

“He’s not a good man,” Linda offered, voice dipping into soft and tired.

“No, he isn’t.”

“You say that when he’s your brother.”

Lena nodded. “Unfortunately.”

“You still helped him,” Linda pointed out.

A humorless puff of laughter escaped Lena. “I did.” She didn’t mention how the flailing woman’s first words had resonated with her. She’d been wrong to help Lex, and she was sorry too. 

“So, not always like that,” Linda surmised.

“Not always. Long enough.” She looked at Linda, a thought pressing on her. “You’re following conversations easily, aren’t you?”

“What do you mean?”

“We’ve spoken quickly, in fragments and phrases, and you understand everything. How long have you been speaking English?”

“I spoke it with Al, with Lex when he would visit. But other than that, and the visit to America, I haven’t used it much. I read. Lex brought or sent so many books. It took me, not very long to master it. I’m smart,” she finished, brightening with a touch of pride.

“Yes, you are,” Lena agreed. 

She heard Alex come back in, almost noiseless. Her presence reminded Lena of Kara and the relationship that existed between the Danvers sisters, now modified in an unknown way for an unknown reason. Paired with Lena’s new knowledge, she found herself remembering vividly Alex with Supergirl at a time that she must have been her whole self, Alex running to her badly injured sister’s side with a threat stronger than Supergirl hovering above. 

Looking at Linda, her apparent mixture of power and vulnerability, Lena perceived the basis of Alex and Kara's connection in a new light. Linda was a window into young Kara, fresh to Earth, bright, and so lost, placed with people who bonded with her, who cared for her. Except Linda had no memory of a dead world left behind. And thanks to Lex, who had used her rather than protected her, she had memories of dead humans around her. Lena winced at the final visual.

“You look sad,” Linda said, pulling Lena out of her thoughts. She seemed not to have noticed Alex, her focus on and a sympathetic smile for Lena. “But you’re doing what you can. You are different from Lex and so much better than he said you were. I understand more of why Kara has you as a friend. You helped me when I was weak and had done horrible things. You were brave doing that. And you could be punishing me now but you’re talking to me.”

Linda yawned again, reminding Lena of the strain she was under. Lex’s treatment had drained much from her, and though she could revive to a certain level under the kryptonite, it would be slow.

“I’ve kept you up,” Lena said to wrap up their talk. “You should sleep.”

Linda’s gaze was soft as she peered back at Lena. “You’re a good person, Lena Luthor. Thank you.” She closed her eyes.

“Thank you,” Lena said back under her breath, letting herself acknowledge the supportive words as she turned away.

The angle Alex was at allowed her to catch the look and talk between Linda and Lena. She thought of Kara and the way she spoke about and looked at Lena and, oh, some of Kara’s restrained behavior towards Lena that clashed with the way Alex knew Kara felt better fit with the dual identity. “Something else in common,” escaped out of her mouth.

Lena, walking back to Alex, tilted her head at the comment, unsure what it was about. Alex shook her head and Lena let it go.

“I think she’ll sleep now,” Lena said. “Better?”

The time staring upward from the balcony into a night lit by a full moon had given Alex a chance to piece feelings and thoughts together, but she had no great insight on the big question. She shrugged.

“Looking for answers. My sister is Supergirl and I didn’t know that. How does that happen? This isn’t about her being sneaky, because no one can convince me she’s good at that. It’s about the evidence in my brain pointing in the opposite direction.”

“Does it?” Lena asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Does it point in the opposite direction? What exactly do you remember when you think about Kara and Supergirl?”

Alex closed her eyes for a minute, searching.

“It’s strange,” she said. “Because when I try to focus on a memory, like the plane that she saved that brought Supergirl into the world’s eye. That night should be so clear to me, and kind of is. But when I remember looking out that window and seeing that young woman standing on the wing, it gets …,” she trailed off and then tried again. “It gets fuzzy, her features, other details. Like there’s something buried that I would find if I dug for it. But I gloss over it or get distracted or am content with the information provided. I can’t focus.”

“Was that happening when I brought up Lex and Clark?” Lena asked. 

“How did you know?” Alex answered, caught off guard by the insight.

“You were getting frustrated,” Lena replied. “And you should have had counterpoints to make, but you weren’t. You were reacting to questions. You weren’t being proactive about putting information on the table to cut me off, to prove me wrong. And that’s not the way I’ve seen you work. Or argue.”

Alex dropped herself heavily into Lena’s chair, sighing, and propped her elbows on the desk. She put her head in her hands, closed her eyes, and probed around again. Certain memories came quickly, mainly those from before Kara was a part of the Danvers family. There seemed to be no lag or avoidance in recalling those. Thinking about Kara took more effort. Thinking about Supergirl, about any of the times she worked at the DEO with her over the last few years, she felt the greatest resistance in the flow of the memories and in her desire to pursue them. Surrounding those were also suggestions of what happened, easy inferences one could draw from the images that was there without looking deeper. Not as much with the most recent memories, those were crisp in her mind.

Where was the cutoff then? She went back over older memories, trying to find clues. Kara and Supergirl were definitely categories that caused pushback. But then there was a feeling that she couldn’t completely access memories of J’onn, Winn, James, or even Maggie, as if context or conversations were lacking.

Something wasn’t available. She had felt like this before, that thought percolated into her consciousness reluctantly as she tested different approaches. Yes, it dawned on her, she had, right after the – shit, the truth-seeker. She rubbed her hands and arms together, remembering the marks left behind. She opened her eyes to find Lena staring at her, concerned.

“I’m okay,” she said to ease Lena’s worry before dropping her gaze. “Working through it though is like walking through sucking mud.”

She remembered her confusion, begging J’onn to check her out. J’onn telling her he found nothing wrong, soothing her with that assurance.

The truth-seeker was at the DEO to find Supergirl’s identity. Possibly more than with any other human on the planet, the fact Kara Danvers was Supergirl would be intertwined in Alex Danvers’ life and memories. It would be harder to hide than for anyone else. Eliminating those interwoven fragments would save Kara from being revealed.

This had been self-inflicted loss, she realized abruptly. Because she knew how far she’d go to protect her loved ones, and the means to do it were available to her.

“I know what happened,” Alex yelled as she stood up, startling Lena. She apologized with a sheepish “Sorry.”

With Lena already familiar with the government’s demand for Supergirl’s identity, Alex filled her in on what had happened to the DEO agents on-site in terms of testing their knowledge of the superhero. Lena didn't comment as Alex explained her theory that J’onn had been involved in altering her memories to foil the truth-seeker. But the alien never left the DEO and the search didn’t end; the threat remained, which would explain why Alex continued in this memory-deficient state. Brainy must also know what happened and, obviously, Kara.

“I remembered I felt something was wrong right after the truth-seeker encounter, though that memory itself is hard to recall, and I asked for J’onn’s help,” Alex finished. “When he checked me, I think he may have altered my memories in a different way so my brain wouldn’t miss them, buffering them to push internal inquiries aside.”

When Alex ended her narrative, Lena had one hand cradling an elbow with a hand over her mouth, hiding her expression. She dropped it and pursed her lips. Alex had provided new, insightful, and disturbing information to her. “J’onn, the former DEO director who transports people through solid objects, can also read and manipulate minds?”

“Yes,” Alex replied, “but he’s very respectful of boundaries. He would only have done this at my request.”

“And there’s a truth-seeker at the DEO that can be used on anyone?” Lena pushed on, unimpressed with Alex’s caveat.

“Yes.”

Lena was aghast. “No offence, but you’re coming to L Corp for any future collaborations.”

“Understood,” Alex said, recognizing how this was setting off warning bells for Lena. “But, having said that, would you allow me to bring J’onn here?”

“You think he can reverse this?”

“I do but he’s the one who would know. Could I contact him?”

Lena started pacing again as she thought about the request. It would be best for them to have this location as a base of operations. Bringing in someone with J’onn’s described mental powers made her uneasy but his input and abilities would be needed beyond working with Alex on the memory wipe. She had hoped Alex would be her leverage into working in honest collaboration with this group. Honesty built trust and that should go both ways.

“I’ll have to change some settings and you’ll need to use my communications equipment.”

\--

The security system picked up J’onn about thirty minutes after the call. Alex had provided him a cursory recount of what was happening and asked him to let Kara know she and Lena were safe, but nothing more. Neither Alex nor Lena wanted Kara’s buddy Supergirl showing up unannounced in a search effort.

Lena directed J’onn to the garage, and then to the living quarters. Alex opened the door to him, anticipating this would be a less threatening welcome to the setting.

He entered the space carefully, Alex remaining beside him and showing him to a chair before settling on the opposite end of a couch from Lena. They spent time filling in the gaps to Alex’s initial story as he listened intently and showed him the lab setup from the monitoring programs Lena was checking in case Linda stirred. While he looked skeptical about Linda’s story, he didn’t judge it, asking straightforward questions throughout.

“Could you get a read on her?” Lena asked, noticing his expression.

“I can’t read Kryptonians,” J’onn replied. “And I think it’s established she’s Kryptonian. I don’t want to reach out from here. It'll be evident when I’m in the room with her.”

Alex shifted forward on the couch. “So, on to the top priority. When I learned Supergirl’s identity tonight, the reason for my lost memories ceased to exist. Can I get them back?”

“They aren’t lost,” J’onn informed them, looking at Alex. “You can’t get to them and neither could the truth-seeker with what I did. Eliminating them would fundamentally alter you for life. Instead I modified so we could reverse the process. It’s going to take time; it isn’t going to happen all at once, which is probably best as your mind wouldn’t like that. Reacquaintance will also be a function of use. But we can get them back. Setting it in motion won’t take long if you want to do that now.”

“I do,” Alex affirmed.

Lena looked over to her. “Do you need me?”

Alex turned to J’onn, and he shook his head. “No.”

“I’ll head back to the lab.” Lena said, departing.

“Alex,” J’onn started.

“Let’s wait,” Alex cut him off, eyes pleading. “I‘m not ready to talk about this until we at least start the reversal.”

“We can do that,” J’onn answered, moving to a chair next to her. His hands hovered by Alex’s head until she nodded, and he lowered them onto her head. “Here we go.”

\-- 

This lab really needs windows, was where her thoughts had taken her. Lena had stopped thinking about Alex getting her memories back. That meant she'd also stopped thinking about whether the connection she had thought was building with Alex wasn’t because they had come to an understanding, wasn’t because she had proved herself, maybe wasn’t because Alex noticed her loyalty to Kara, but rather was because Alex’s bond with Supergirl had been severed. A bond that was being put back into place. And then who’s on her side? She’d skipped away from that topic and anything else catastrophic for the moment and had moved on to thinking the place needed a bit of light and color while twirling a pen between her fingers and listening for alarms.

Behind her the unlocked door was pushed open. She spun in her chair to find Alex and J’onn entering.

“How did it go?”

“Smoothly,” J’onn answered. 

“And?” Lena looked at Alex.

“My mind's shaky right now but I’m feeling like certain pathways may be back in business. It’s clarifying, if that makes any sense. As J’onn said, it won’t all return in a flash.” 

“We’re waiting on more progress then?”

“That’s going to be continuous, so we should get back to work,” Alex countered. “I think we should bring Kara in.”

This wasn’t an unexpected request, but Lena had been trying to put it off with her suggestion. She wasn’t giving up yet.

“Why?” she responded, not feeling at all ready to see Kara.

“Why? What do you mean?”

“Kara being here may not be optimal. For example, can she be objective in dealing with this situation? She has to have hostility towards Linda. Linda’s killed people while pretending to be her. We should learn more before she becomes involved. And, if your sister’s here and we’re working on how this happened, are you ready and willing to ask difficult questions? Because she may have kept things to herself.”

“We can have Kara here without having her interacting with Linda,” Alex stated, “though I think that’s a mistake. Kara has a right to know and be a part of this. And you already said she was part of the equation and we’d have to question her. I can handle that.”

“I didn’t say she had to be physically present,” Lena fired back. Alex met her retort with a raised eyebrow and didn’t back down.

Fine,” Lena caved after less than a minute, knowing that Kara held crucial information and that this was a weak attempt to delay the inevitable, “in the morning.” She smirked, but it was to hide the feelings behind her half-sarcastic ask, “Should I send the car for her?”

J’onn, who had stayed out of the disagreement, glanced her way, something close to sympathy crossing his face. Lena hated it.

“I can get Kara,” he said. “And Brainy if there’s no objection.” The room was still. “Just to confirm, your guest reads as Kryptonian. Morning is three hours away. I’ll go now.”

With just the two of them, Lena wondered out loud, “He flies too, right?”

“Yes,” Alex said, recognizing the night had been stressful for all, but that Lena had spent it learning over and over what had been kept from her. She knew Lena’s self-control was impeccable but was still surprised that she had barely raised her voice throughout this. “You should get some rest. I’ll stay with her.” She gestured to the containment structure.

“There’s a cot and blanket in the closet.” Lena pointed to a door in the corner. She was ready to retire for the night. Time by herself would give her a chance to reassess and think through the day ahead. “I’m going upstairs.”

“Good night,” Alex said, noting Lena’s stiff posture as she left. She gathered the bedtime items, exhausted and aware of a growing ache in her head that she hoped sleep would help. 

Thinking about Kara’s arrival and looking to the prone form across the room as she set things up, she facetiously offered advice, “Prepare yourself. Today is going to be messy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was longer than expected. But I’m trying to keep to my chapter count and I didn’t want to put Kara off for another chapter – next chapter should start with Kara.
> 
> I appreciate the kudos and comments.
> 
> Maybe I missed it but I don’t think they ever addressed what Lena knows about J'onn and why she isn’t disturbed by this guy who looks like her mother’s cyber henchman being in the same room. She saw him transport people into the L Corp lab when the WK came, but don’t think she’s seen him do anything else. Maybe knew he was a shapeshifter?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Brainy join and maybe a little plot added to talks, thoughts, secrets, identities, memories, feelings, and revelations. We'll see where that goes.
> 
> A few things included from 4x17 (not concerned about timeline) but that's probably the end of any reflection of canon.

_You don’t see yourself sleeping. Not in real time. That’s impossible._

Kara inhaled deeply at the latest in a train of metaphysical thoughts popping up as she kept an unnecessary watch over her double. She answered to Kara, J’onn had told her, though she’d accept being called Linda. A Kara who had allied with Lex Luthor and raked down humans with lasers from her eyes. A reckoning between them was inevitable.

She could wait for it. Kara had spent the past weeks juggling clearing Supergirl’s name, protecting her city, trying to catch Lex and company, and maintaining her human identity. The weight of it all and the way she felt she was letting Kal down - she was drained. This capture, or maybe it was a rescue given J’onn’s account, should be a positive break for them. But, along with an upcoming confrontation with her double, she had fallout from the revelations that had already happened and were still to come to look forward to.

Now that the timing of this woman’s appearance had been narrowed down by her interview with Alex, Kara was sure of her origin. The exact mechanism may be unknown, but Kara’s actions had caused this, had brought them all to this point. That was going to come out, even if she didn’t disclose it. Lena and Brainy might already have strong suspicions, and if not, they would develop them with any time spent thinking about it.

She ran a hand over her hair and down her cheek to her jaw and then around to squeeze the back of her neck, hearing Brainy make his way over to her at the motion. His hand landed lightly on her arm and she looked at him.

“I’m fine,” she said with a small smile that only touched her lips.

She could tell he didn’t believe her when the look of concern remained, but he didn’t contradict. With a squeeze of support, he returned to his survey of the containment chamber design.

She was left with her thoughts again, which turned to Alex. The mindwipe might not be attributed to Kara, at least not directly, but a case could be made. They’d established that Lex had been able to run loose before he had this gift of a Kryptonian weapon handed to him. But Lex’s commitment to pursuing the goal of a triumph by anti-alien sentiment likely was strengthened by what he could access in Kaznia. 

The influence of the anti-alien movement had spread more quickly with Lex growing bolder, and its continued presence had contributed to keeping Alex memory-wiped. Kara didn’t know how Alex was going to react to her with the reversal and the way it had happened. Even with J’onn’s reassurances, she worried about her sister suffering lingering effects.

J’onn had deferred most of her questions about Alex but had allowed she was more confused than hostile. Kara turned to look at her sister where she lay oblivious to the world. She walked over to straighten the blanket over Alex, not even drawing a twitch in response. Hopefully rest was giving Alex’s neurons a chance to undergo some repair. She returned to her place by the shield.

Kara hadn’t asked J’onn about the other person who had been enlightened last night and he hadn’t said anything. What had happened with Lena was likely to be a much deeper hole to climb out of. If Lena hadn’t already mentally assigned Kara to a figurative Earth’s core to remain there until she dissolved in liquid metal.

“Eventually she’ll find out on her own, find out you’ve been lying to her all this time. And when she does, she’ll hate you for it.” Lillian’s voice echoed over and over to Kara when she let her thoughts turn to Lena. It played over the memories of Lena trusting her, of Kara’s choices not to tell her, of Lena proving herself to be her own person who wasn’t beholden to a family name. 

With one glaring exception, Kara had consistently stood by Lena. And she had come clean about her own insecurities that had led to that slip. Kara’s decisions on her identity had been made to protect, but she knew Lena’s history with deception. Lena could easily view Kara’s faith in her as something Kara had played at, only there for Lena to see. Kara knew she would find hurt and self-doubt wherever in this place her friend was. She hadn’t checked on that, knowing that any further super-powered actions that were seen as to her advantage relative to the two of them would not be appreciated.

While Kara could admit they had drifted as the secret had continued, she had always taken solace in the fact nothing had broken what was between them. Kara remembered those first months, how surprised and delighted she had been to find a kindred spirit in the youngest of the Luthors. They had fallen into a natural pattern of communication and care, somehow complimentary to each other. The friendship had become indispensable to her.

Over time, Kara had noticed Lena looking at her in a certain way and the warmth she felt inside when she was with Lena that poked at her to acknowledge it through requests or declarations, but she’d refused to pursue such opportunities. Lena wasn’t making any moves and Kara assumed she was blowing things out of proportion. She willfully ignored that her feelings for her friend were growing rather than diminishing and endured Alex’s occasional raised eyebrow or smirk with nonchalance; she didn’t entertain her sister’s opinion on what seemed a moot topic.

Challenging times through the years had tested them and each had been in a relationship, but they always held onto a place in each other’s life. Kara knew she’d had meaningful romantic feelings for Lena for a while but, in Kara's opinion, determining if Lena felt the same required complete openness between them. And any time she’d started to collect the courage to think maybe she could protect Lena even if Lena knew, maybe she could compensate for any change in the level of danger that came with Lena knowing, an event hurtled in to intensify doubt in her abilities and ended the fantasy.

Those years of decisions and actions culminated here, with her actual self sleeping under kryptonite having potentially shattered one of the most important relationships Kara had. Not through intent, but through existence. An apparently simple thing, what threatened to tear it apart. What did that say about what could save it?

\--

Alex stirred from sleep, aware of vibrant imagery in her head fleeing with open eyes. She tried to chase it by slamming them back shut; the images seemed to be a gateway to an entire sleep period of elevated brain activity that she would love to evaluate. But they disappeared, a usual outcome of passing from unconscious to conscious.

Blinking several times, she scanned the lab, stopping when her gaze landed on Kara, as Kara Danvers, in a white Oxford, black belt, and chinos with glasses and a braid, standing by Brainy in his usual DEO gear. They murmured to each other as they looked over at Linda.

She rolled over and straightened up, seeing a bundle on the desk. A change of clothes courtesy of Kara made her smile. She’d use those later she thought as she pulled on her jeans from the foot of the cot and walked over to the two by the containment chamber.

Kara had to know she was coming but she didn’t turn. When Alex was alongside her sister, she glanced down the two-person line next to her, but Kara remained looking ahead, the tension in her body obvious. Brainy did look back and nodded in acknowledgement. The introspective Coulan was likely tuned into the atmosphere given he was the only person who both knew about Alex’s condition and had been privy to Alex and Supergirl interactions on a regular basis.

Alex was unsure how to proceed – the memories were just starting to inch out of their sheltered spaces. But this was her little sister, this was Kara, and Alex wanted to take away the look of uncertainty and misery.

She bumped Kara’s shoulder lightly. “Rough morning?” she asked casually, looking at her. 

Kara turned that unhappy face to Alex and she instinctively reached for her, wrapping Kara in a hug. Now that she recalled what it was, she could feel Kara trying not to hug her back too hard as she buried her face in Alex’s shoulder. Alex compensated by hugging as hard as she could.

When she unexpectedly caught Brainy’s eye, he gave a strained smile before looking to the ground as if to give them privacy. Alex tilted her head into Kara’s shoulder, closing her eyes. Brainy’s demeanor likely came from having seen what Kara was carrying and what Alex was beginning to sense, the cost of this time to Kara, Alex, really all of them.

“It’s going to be okay,” Alex said, responding to how Kara wasn’t relaxing into the hug at all. “We’ll get through this,” she looked up to find Brainy glancing over at them again and held his gaze to include him, “We will.” She got a small, brief increase in pressure in return. 

After another minute Alex let go with one arm but shifted to maintain a side hug of Kara, who leaned into her in response.

Relief coursed through Kara as she stood, grateful, next to Alex. She’d tried to talk herself through this moment many times, replaying convincing narratives about Alex’s love for her mediating this encounter. She’d even found herself on the phone to Eliza a few times in the months they’d gone through where Eliza had reminded her that Alex had done this for her, and they would be able to get through anything it raised between them. But the anxiety hadn’t waned. It was finally doing so.

She wanted to dive back into all of her identities having a sister, but she knew they would need to go slowly as Alex adjusted and the memories returned. Having Alex beside her like this reinstated something fundamental in Kara’s life. She could allow the rebuilding to progress at its own pace.

“Rough months,” came her delayed answer to Alex’s question.

“Yeah,” Alex agreed and then joked, “and I didn’t even know the half of it.”

Kara started to turn but Alex held her in place. “I meant that, Kara – it’s okay. We’ll work through it. For now, let’s talk about our latest disaster. There’s probably a ticking clock involved,” she said a corner of her mouth twitching.

“Of course there is,” Brainy said with a fleeting smile before he sobered. “J’onn told us about your talks with Linda. We need to debrief her further. And figure out when we introduce Kara to the conversations.”

Kara swallowed hard, reluctant but understanding her place in this. “I’m ready when you need me.”

“We’ll deal with that when it’s time, but let’s avoid her waking to us hovering.” Alex guided Kara over to the desk and Brainy followed to complete a triangle.

“I told J’onn everything we talked about,” Alex remarked. “But it’s difficult to describe the recognition I felt. I believe she’s actually you, Kara.” Kara nodded her acceptance of Alex’s opinion. “Whenever we have a chance to talk to her, you’ll both see what I mean. She connects to Lena, too. Lena was more reticent on details with J’onn, but I came in on part of her and Linda’s conversation. I think it was more Lex oriented, so it may provide some points to pursue to take him down.”

“How is Lena?” Brainy asked, expression troubled. Alex considered if the two of them had had a preliminary conversation, if Brainy had offered to Kara to breach this subject. She dismissed the thought quickly; Brainy and Lena were friends and he knew Lena had been through a trying experience. Still, she didn’t miss how Kara's expression became more attentive at the question.

“She’s stayed remarkably calm, “Alex informed them, “but you’re familiar with her coping skills. She may think our friendship has regressed with the mindwipe ended; I’m going to make sure our communications don’t support that conclusion. My advice would be to give her some leeway about more personal matters, let her dictate the pace on those. She’ll bury herself in problem-solving the Lex situation regardless, but if we push her on more uncomfortable topics, we’ll only see that side of her. And I worry about the stress that will put on her.”

Kara’s “Got it” echoed Brainy’s affirmation, even as she shrunk inward at Alex’s explanation. Alex was right and that meant the situation between her and Lena regarding Kara’s identity might not reach any degree of resolution during this, remaining a source of discord between them for some time. 

\----

Lena had somehow slept five hours, a gift given the frenzy of the night and her regular sleep schedule, or lack of one. Her first action upon waking had been to email Jess to clear her schedule for the next few days, freeing her up to work remotely.

The thoughts that her tired brain had uncharacteristically capitulated on to instead sleep had returned to accompany her preparations, a retread of thoughts and questions from the night before: how did she not know Kara was Supergirl, which was on her, and why wasn’t she told, which was on Kara. Thinking about how the two personas that Kara displayed had dealt with Lena so differently had been the gist of her rumination on the first. Which had brought her back to convoluted interpretations of what had been real in their relationship, and those left her unsatisfied. And if there was one thing that would pique Lena Luthor like little else, it was not having satisfactory answers.

On the why side, she’d tried to fight off the usual suspects of her reputation and her family, but they stood firm. And she didn’t want to hear anything that resembled a weak excuse from Kara; thinking about those scenarios only made her angrier, building on her underlying frustration and hurt.

When Lena had emerged from the master bedroom ready for the day, she'd found J’onn on the balcony all in black, looking similar to his DEO days. Even knowing what she did about him, she'd been grateful his presence stilled the racing and blaming in her brain, and their quiet teamwork as J’onn helped her collect breakfast items for Linda and Alex had been pleasant.

They entered the lab, items in hand. The contrast of those recent moments with how the rest of this day would go came immediately.

Lena had known that Kara and Brainy were here but that didn’t lessen the impact of seeing Kara. Not Supergirl, Kara. It brought her to a physical halt just clear of the closing door as the calm in her mind disappeared.

J’onn must have noticed because he turned back. The look he gave her suggested understanding and his only action was to hold out his hand to take what she was carrying. When she held them out, not looking away from Kara, he continued with them into the room, heading for Alex’s side.

Kara turned a couple of seconds after the door clicked open, in time to see J’onn turn to Lena. When he made his way toward them, face neutral, she risked looking at Lena. 

Kara could see that, while she was casually attired in blue jeans and a collarless dark red button-down with her hair loose, the businesswoman mask was in place, and Lena averted her eyes as soon as Kara looked over. She wished she’d been looking when they came in to have some read on her friend. She believed Alex was correct about not pushing, but she knew this was her move unless Lena told her it was unwelcome.

Kara approached Lena with care, her mouth set in a line and shoulders straight, steps slow as she waited for any indication to stop.

Lena appreciated that at least Kara’s demeanor was serious. If Kara had smiled in that awkward way Supergirl had preceding their conversation about Supergirl sending James to spy on Lena, Lena would have bailed from the room. Making light of this in any way would be insulting.

When Kara reached her, Lena finally met her gaze. She gave away nothing; she was going to keep this under control.

Kara could already tell she was experiencing a new level of Lena’s aloofness. It rattled her into forging ahead.

“Lena,” was all Kara got out of her mouth, tone more pleading than intended.

“Not now,” Lena interrupted, hands in front of her waving off any further speech as her face remained impassive. “We all have a job to do and both of us have a role in that. So, we do the right thing and play our roles. Whatever is between us doesn’t interfere with that.”

“Okay,” Kara agreed as her chest tightened, and she reminded herself not to push. “I can do that.”

“And,” Lena said, her voice louder and harder, “please be here as her. Kara wouldn’t be the one here.”

Kara recognized Lena requesting their past arrangement, that Kara wouldn’t be here with Lena if it was Kara’s choice, if there was still a secret being kept; Supergirl would be. Lena was asking for them to continue in that vein, and the weight to her argument was likely that she wanted to make the choice this time, for the first time. Lena choosing against Kara was Lena distancing herself from their relationship, which she had unknowingly done before. It was different with Lena fully knowledgeable of who she was in the relationship with. It stung more and Kara felt in that the imbalance that had existed between them. Because a consequence of balance was that now Lena could wound Kara rather than Supergirl.

“I can do that, too,” Kara concurred, hiding how shaken she was.

J’onn walked over at Kara’s declaration.

“No. We may need you here as Kara,” he said, making it clear Lena’s demand had been heard. “Until we see how Linda reacts.”

Lena had gone rigid and Kara’s gaze was flitting between the two of them, nervous about an imminent reaction.

Alex was a few steps behind J’onn, shaking her head. She put a hand on his shoulder to get his attention. When he gave it to her, she exchanged a long look with him before giving him a small shove away.

“Let me handle this, please.”

The look he threw her held some irritation, but he acquiesced, moving back to Brainy.

“Could you give us a minute, Kara?” Alex asked.

“Yes,” Kara said, appreciating Alex’s intervention and leaving to join the others.

Lena watched Alex, wondering where this was going. She was surprised by the next statement.

“I understand your request,” Alex said, leaning in with a low voice. “But J’onn is right, getting information from Linda is our first priority and we need to use what’s most effective. That probably includes you, and Kara out of the suit. Is there a way we can have Kara here that works for you?”

Lena blinked several times, whiplash a thing as she adjusted from her expectation of a directive to a solicitation of her opinion. Maybe Alex hadn’t automatically left their corner of growing friendship with the reinstatement of her memories.

“I can work around her when that’s necessary,” Lena offered. “I have alternate workspaces. And I did commit to accomplishing a mission, to playing my role.”

Alex felt the tension ease. “Thank you.” She glanced at the others. “Brainy wants to brief all of us now. Do you want Supergirl there?”

“Please,” Lena answered.

Alex led Lena back to the desk, getting Kara’s attention and indicating with a gesture that she should change.

Kara disappeared out the door and returned with a whoosh in the suit.

The déjà vu of the sight hit Lena - “The Luthor name doesn’t deserve Lena.” Another instance from the file of ‘Was that honest or an act?’ She shook her head, dismissing the matter for later and giving her attention to Brainy.

“It appears Lex is looking for Linda,” Brainy started. “There’s been increased activity by the Children, including L Corp being tested last night. Cybersecurity and physical security held,” he provided looking at Lena, “and no one else was involved. There haven’t been any other attempts and it’s probable they’ve ruled out that location.

“We’re tracking additional incidents. Dreamer is assisting the DEO and some of the alien organizations that have been targeted. She doesn’t consider herself a knowledgeable player in the situation here, so she’s chosen to help this way and free up others to tackle the other Kara. She does want in on any plan to get Lex, though.”

Small smiles appeared around the circle with Brainy’s last statement.

“I’ll get out there and coordinate with her when this is done, unless I’m needed here,” J’onn chimed in.

“Sounds good,” Brainy acknowledged. “In news that actually is new to most, before J’onn and Supergirl came and got me, Agent Vasquez and I did a little investigating of the Liberty leaders in custody, following up on Director Danvers’ thwarted attempt.”

“You did?” Alex had considered that trail dead the minute she left the DEO.

“We got you, boss,” Brainy said. “That was Agent Vasquez’s message, by the way. We figured out your likely intention and did our best role-playing while interrogating. We talked them out of leads that they didn’t realize they had. Turns out the Children’s organization has been physically scattered, but the money may not be. We have information to start looking for potential backers and funding streams. Also, we learned about events that, if we could tie Lockwood to them, we can use to get him arrested again. Justifying a second pardon would be difficult. I can continue to work on those from here and Vasquez is working from the DEO side, hiding her searches behind a dummy project.”

“I can also bring some boots-on-the-ground to that if you need it,” J’onn volunteered.

Alex stopped sipping the coffee Lena had brought to give Brainy a fond look. “I’m proud of you and Susan.”

“Thank you,” Brainy accepted the compliment before continuing, “Anyone else with something to report?”

“I’m making progress on counteracting the serum,” Lena contributed.

“There were several versions from refinements to eliminate the powers component,” Alex said. “How do you know which Eve took to give to Lex? Or does it matter?”

The true answer to the question skimmed too close to Lena admitting working with Lex and she wasn’t ready for that yet. She also told herself it wasn’t relevant to their efforts.

“Eve tried to destroy some research, but I’ve been able to restore the files,” Lena reported, which wasn’t a lie but was a simplification. “Options have been narrowed down and counteragents are being developed. We’re close and I could use Brainy’s assistance on it when he’s not working on the Children of Liberty half of the problem.”

Lena didn’t mention that she’d recently had an idea about the person to administer a reversing drug, knowing it was premature. It would be nice to bounce that off Brainy as well.

“I can multi-task,” Brainy replied.

“I look forward to working together,” Lena responded. While she wasn’t ready to bring in her work with Lex, she did have a different bombshell that she needed to divulge. “And one other thing - I’m holding Otis Graves on the first floor.”

Four pairs of shocked eyes locked onto her.

“What?!” Alex verbalized first.

“I knocked him out, like I told you. And then I moved him to an easy-to-access place in the facility. I have contacts in the world of discreet, respectable, private security consultants given my use of such employees for almost my entire life. I had them pick him up and bring him here.”

“Why didn’t you say something?” Alex was incredulous.

“I didn’t know how this was going to go,” Lena said, giving a tiny, one-shoulder shrug. “But we seem to be working towards putting all cards on the table. He was being used as a backup weapon for a Kryptonian being held against her will. I wasn’t going to leave him there, freed up to use against another Kryptonian.”

Kara noticed that Lena’s gaze flicked to her for a split second, making clear whom she’d been thinking of. 

“How are you holding him, given his power source?” Kara solicited, encouraged by Lena’s justification to make a first attempt at ‘work’ conversation.

Lena didn't back away from it. “I have nanotech that I can lace with metals and conforms to shape. His torso is locked in lead-shielding. I added some equipment to dampen and siphon off his energy, expelling it in other forms. He’s locked up with a guard on him. He’s been working with Lex; he far from the brightest but he may tell us something.”

Kara had to agree with that possibility, but before anyone could speak further, J’onn, who had the best view, held up a hand.

“She’s awake."

\--

“I’m going to take her breakfast and say good-morning,” Lena said, protein bars, bagels, and cream cheese under one arm or in hand and black hoodie and sweatpants with shirt and underclothes under the other.

Kara’s worried expression that she was directing at anyone but Lena made her position known, but Alex did the talking. “It’s too risky. You told her last night that she’d caused fear in people and that’s why she’s under kryptonite. And now you want to walk in there like it’s no big deal. If it has to be someone, J’onn or Brainy would a better choice.”

“She doesn’t know them. And you fell asleep in there,” Lena retorted.

Kara’s face flushed at that piece of information, but she held to her decision to stay out of this confrontation. Alex would hear from her about the recklessness later.

“Plus,” Lena argued, though she realized they had no way to stop her other than physically, “she wants us to trust her, so that’s either sincere or it’s a game that we’ll need to play. I’m good at games. Not to mention, I’ll be protected in there. Brainy, you looked over the system?”

Brainy disengaged from the mutual scrutinizing across the room that he and Linda were participating in to nod. So far, Linda had seemed more interested in her companions than Supergirl.

“Then you know what to do,” Lena stated.

“Yes,” he agreed. He picked up a device and placed it in his ear for audio.

“See, it’s all covered. If you’ll excuse me…” Lena walked over and stepped through when Brainy dropped the shield. They could see her walk over to Linda, her face animated as she spoke. Linda brightened up and accepted the food and clothes, gesturing to Lena to sit down.

“What?” Brainy reacted to the looks the Danvers sisters were giving him. “She knows what she’s doing.”

Kara shook off the kryptonite tingle from the shield drop and didn’t pursue the lesson she’d like to give Brainy on letting Lena do whatever she decided to do. Wouldn’t it be hypocritical when she was the one that told James that Lena was often right?

When Alex tried to share her handful of grapes, Kara declined, concentrating on the containment structure. She wasn’t allowed to wallow in her unhappiness over the arrangement for long.

“I think I should debrief Linda,” Brainy suggested, focus still on the two women interacting.

“Why do you think that?” Kara asked, surprised.

“Because I was able to reach you,” Brainy answered. “If she is you, I think I can use that experience, that process, to work with her, to find out how she was manipulated and where she stands.

“As a more neutral party, I can look for tells with less bias. I think she wants to talk, and I can get her talking. With you and Alex observing if you wish. Also," without looking over he pointed two fingers towards Kara, a sign he was certain about his point, “she recognizes Lena saved her from Lex and hasn't harmed her. I’d have her in there with me for a familiar face.”

“Why not me?” Alex questioned, feeling overlooked.

Brainy’s brow furrowed as he turned to the sisters. “Now that Kara’s here, I think she’s going to suspect you of being on her side. The last time she and Kara interacted was violent. I think you should talk to Linda, but about the connection and the sides thing, not about what she knows and her history with Lex. At least not for starters.”

J’onn hadn’t expressed an opinion during the statements of Lena’s and Brainy’s intentions but he did now. 

“I like that idea,” he said. “We need to work quickly so we should use what we already have. The violence is increasing out there and Lex’s main objective seems to be to discredit any aliens with influence by framing them for or pushing them into attacks on humans and other aliens. With high-profile meetings happening soon, we want this resolved or controlled before those become targets. We need to use this win.” He inclined his head towards Linda and Lena.

Alex gave a begrudging nod that Kara mirrored.

Brainy had some good points, and Kara knew Lena could contribute to the effort; she’d be safer with Brainy than she currently was, negating that criticism. Learning all they could would assist the mission.

\--

Hello,” Brainy greeted Linda, pulling up the chair Alex had dozed in the previous night. He sat it directly across from Linda who sat at the edge of the bed, legs swinging. 

Alex watched them from the desk with Kara hovering behind. 

Lena was standing behind Brainy, having agreed to participate after she came back into the lab space and had a chat with J’onn.

“I was wondering if we could talk,” Brainy picked back up.

Linda looked at him with a curious expression as her legs stopped moving. She nodded.

“I’m…” he began.

“You’re Querl Dox. Or Brainy,” Linda interrupted.

“How did you know?”

Linda glanced over at Lena, looking uncertain. 

“She read Kara’s journal,” Lena said.

“Oh, right” Brainy noted, “then I guess you have the advantage of knowing more about me than I do about you. Should I call you Linda?”

“Kara or Linda. Either will do.”

Brainy smiled and laced his hands together in his lap. “I think I’m going to go with Linda to minimize confusion. I could track who’s who, but I am a 12th-level intellect.”

“I know. Are you the one here because this is like your first meeting with Kara?”

“How so?” Brainy kept his voice steady but there was a hint that the question was unexpected.

“When she needed to find herself, you were there to help her.”

“Sort of,” Brainy agreed. You’re not in a coma, unable to leave your mind after being badly beaten, but maybe I can work with you on explaining things a bit, finding out what’s going on with you.”

Lena pressed a hand to her forehead at the details of Kara and Brainy's first meeting. Don’t think about how your best friend was in critical condition and no one bothered to tell you, she instructed herself. Or, even more distressing, how someone, likely alerted by James, posed as Kara so you confided in a stranger.

All the incidents and weak explanations Lena had looked past and now could look back on clearly, with one of them so glaring in retrospect – I was having coffee with Kara Danvers – if she dwelt on them the embarrassment alone was crushing, and now was not the time. Lena dropped her hand and settled on an uncomfortable metal folding chair to help as she could.

\--

Alex monitored the three behind the shield while Kara alternated between pacing and leaning against the wall behind her. Lena had shifted to sitting a few feet to the side of Brainy and was following Brainy’s lead on when he wanted her to participate in the conversation. From Alex’s vantage point, they seemed to be doing a solid job of establishing a rapport with Linda.

Alex and Kara glanced over when J’onn returned from his visit to the first floor to evaluate Otis and the contraptions holding him.

As he walked up to the side of the desk, Kara threw out a question that continued to bother her, “J’onn, could you explain again how Alex won’t have any lasting effects from the wipe?”

J’onn’s face shifted into a gentler expression. “As I’ve told both of you,” he looked between them, Alex attuned to the conversation now as well, “Alex shouldn’t. But it may seem like it because there will be lags for reappearance of memories. And, there’s always the fear factor that you have to battle that an inability to recall could be due to my intervention when it’s instead due to normal human brain activity.”

“We didn’t really talk about length of lag,” Alex took up the topic.

“Individuals are different, and it will depend on how often you’re accessing a memory pathway,” J’onn explained. “For a human mind that’s undergone the process yours has, you could be looking at 12 months. The complexity of the mind has advantages and disadvantages. You can bend human minds a bit without lasting harm, but that means you also can have long recoveries to status quo.”

Alex chewed on her top lip, thinking about the prognosis. She didn’t regret the decision she’d made, but it meant she was going to have to be meticulous if she wanted to improve as rapidly as she could and not freak herself out. 

Kara’s face fell at J’onn’s conclusion. She knew Alex was strong enough to deal with this, but she felt responsible for a decision with a cumulative price tag that was higher than expected. 

J’onn seemed to pick up on the internal unrest in each of them. “Maybe you two need to talk more about what happened during the past few months. Ms. Luthor asked me to find a different place to hold Otis Graves when we’re done with him. We don’t want him, a known enemy with kryptonite modifications, around two Kryptonians. I’m going now to work on that and check in with Nia.”

He clapped a hand on each of their shoulders, drawing their eyes to his stern countenance. “Talk.” Both gave him a nod.

Kara moved off to the side of Alex’s eyeline as J’onn left so Alex could look over at her while minding her responsibilities.

“Do you want to?” Kara’s tone was tentative.

“We can start. I know we need to,” Alex acknowledged. She remembered those times with clarity - the glares, the frostiness, the resentment of this superior being who held herself as superior, or at least gave that impression. The worst memory might be when she and Col. Haley had almost agreed on Supergirl’s attitude. Her relationship with Supergirl had improved as the months passed, lessening the negative exchanges. But there had been no change in the frequency of the flash of something across Kara’s face when, as Alex now realized, Alex hadn’t known something, hadn’t remembered.

“I remember what I did, how I treated Supergirl. And I remember how I lost part of Kara’s life” Alex said. She went right for what she knew was Kara’s Achilles heel. “How alone did I make you feel?”

Kara flinched. But she wouldn’t make Alex feel guilty for a sacrifice she’d made for Kara. “You did what you felt you had to do - remaining at the DEO to help while agreeing to the wipe to protect me. It was your choice. I understood,” she answered.

“You’re avoiding the question,” Alex pointed out.

Kara shrugged. “We’re just starting, right?” 

“Yeah, one baby step at a time,” Alex allowed. “Here’s a step I’ll be working on. I didn’t consciously realize how much you changed my life views. Having an alien for a sister, having you, the person you came to us as and the one you grew into, as a sister impacted me in ways that I need to take a harder look at. Like I said, I remember what I did, and some of it makes me cringe.”

Kara smiled, relieved the tension from the actual wipe was behind them, but also responding to Alex’s sentiment, because she felt it too. “You know, you made me me as well. That’s how family works, or at least how we worked. I couldn’t have lived MY life without you.”

Alex held out a hand, and inserting some cheesiness into her voice said, “One baby step down. Best sisters forever?”

“And ever.” Kara took her hand with a cheesy grin to match Alex's tone and they shook on it.

Alex could have left it at that. But as they turned back to watching Linda looking to Brainy as she answered a question, she saw a way to work from this to introducing the subject of Linda, which Kara was fastidiously avoiding, and explaining her own position on the double.

“Kara,” she said, drawing her sister’s attention back, “I know you’re not looking forward to talking to Linda. And I know you might feel some betrayal that I feel a connection to her.”

“No, Alex,” Kara said, shaking her head. “I honestly don’t. Linda, Kara, whoever, is a complicated topic for me, but I don’t have negative feelings towards you rolled up in that.”

“It would be understandable,” Alex went on smoothly past Kara’s interjection, “especially considering what she’s done. But I’ve thought about this over and over since she told me about only remembering Alex. And you just mentioned family influence.” 

Alex paused to run both hands up her face and into her hair before looking at her sister, face serious. “I’ve thought about how this is what could have happened to you, Kara. Jeremiah went with Hank Henshaw to prevent something like this. Haley talked about how she tortured and bent alien children for the DEO – remember the Morae? I understand Linda’s an adult, but she didn’t remember anything. Lex molded her to be something. But I believe the strength you have, the character you have, are there. The only thing she had was a connection to a name. And eventually that small thing was enough to stop her. I want to think that was because those actions aren’t who she is. What if she had had the right people from the beginning?”

“I know what you’re saying,” Kara responded, mouth tight around her words and her crossed arms tightened around her middle, “but considering her a blank slate…she still made choices. I need some time and I don’t know if even that will help. I’m not just close to this, I’m stitched right into it.”

Alex nodded, satisfied with at least some airing of the topic. “Understandable. I’m sorry I haven’t been here to help you, but I’m here now if you need me.”

“I felt pretty alone.” Kara surprised herself with the words Alex’s apology brought from her. But she continued, allowing a small release of the emotional suppression she’d been exercising for so long. “Winn gone, Clark and Lois gone, J’onn out of the DEO, James caught up in his work or his poor decision-making. On the brighter side, Brainy was at the DEO and had enough history to support me, and mentoring Nia has made me feel good, and needed. I missed you a lot though.”

“I guess, of the two of us, I had the advantage, not knowing.”

“But there’s still been a cost.”

Alex waved it off. “One I was willing and am still willing to pay. You can’t forget that, Kara. This wasn’t your fault.”

Kara shook her head sadly at that, thinking about how it could be, but said nothing.

Alex dropped the topic, satisfied that at least there wasn’t an outright denial. She knew something else was sapping Kara. “You left someone out in your friend run-down.”

“Yeah, well, you have some idea of how it is to be on the outside of it all. Lena made me feel better these past few months, like she can, but I couldn’t share details about you with her. And all of the hiding has ended in a huge mess.”

“And a lot of feelings,” Alex pushed gently.

“And probably more to come,” Kara added on rather than denied, her exasperation evident in her tone. “Because I’ve given up the right to be the one to tell her truths because I didn’t tell her the one big thing. She doesn’t want to talk to me about anything that doesn’t have to do with taking down her brother.

“And every future revelation is going to drive a bigger wedge between us. Did you hear Linda and Brainy talking about how he and I met? Lena’s mask dropped for a second and I could tell she’d just figured out where Supergirl, where Kara was after the fight with Reign. I did that to her, and until we can talk this out it’s going to keep happening.”

Kara looked over at the containment room in time to see Lena motion to Linda as she asked her something, Linda tracking Lena with a look of concentration, as if she wanted to get the answer right.

“I don’t want to lose her, and I don’t know what to do,” Kara breathed.

\--

Brainy was remarkably compatible in working with Linda, Lena realized from the start of the interview. He also must have been paying more attention than she thought when she and he had worked together, because he was very good at giving and receiving cues, and soon they were working almost seamlessly in talking to Linda. Their surroundings seemed to melt away, their focus on this second Kara.

Linda seemed comfortable in fresh, soft clothing sitting on the bed and she was surprisingly open with them. Her statement about wanting to help the night before matched her quick agreement to be debriefed. Lena could tell Brainy was looking for subterfuge and ticking off items to verify at least as often as she was as they talked, but information flowed. Brainy guided the conversation and did an admirable job of avoiding anything too volatile. It let them build on topics as they talked to her.

They covered more recent history first. The item that stuck with Lena was Linda’s explanation of her unconscious mantra. When Linda had concluded that she was Kara, Lex had been able to convince her to come back so he could explain, only to subdue her upon arrival. Part of what followed had been a re-education scenario involving pain. Linda had resisted by repeating to herself over and over that she was Kara Danvers, fixated on remembering and fighting off Lex’s attempt to convince her she was wrong. Linda declared emphatically to Lena and Brainy that she knew who she was. It was as if her claimed identity had even worked its way to her subconscious. It impressed on Lena the mental fortitude of the woman sitting in front of her and the cruelty of what Lex had done.

Brainy moved on to Kaznia, and Linda told him that she found and then lived at a military base. She told them about her training, the military initially testing, and in some cases stimulating, her powers as if they knew more than she did. They eventually set her up against tanks and drones and missiles.

When Brainy asked if Kaznia was where she met Lex, Linda confirmed it was. On a hunch, Lena asked her whether Lex visited alone. The two companions Linda described were instantly recognized by her audience.

Lena exchanged a look with Brainy that indicated they were on the same page about expanding this fact-finding mission.

“Can we bring one of them in,” Lena asked, “the one who was guarding you?”

Linda tilted her head. “You have him?”

“Yes, we have him secured until we can move him. We know he can hurt you, but you’re shielded in here and the kryptonite attached to him has been enclosed and de-powered.”

Linda looked from one to the other. “It will help to have him here?”

“It could,” Brainy responded.

“Then yes.”

Lena held up a finger as she stood up. “Give me a minute.”

She noticed that J’onn had left, but Supergirl walked over from Alex’s side at Lena’s wave. She explained what they needed, and Supergirl brought up Otis and his armed guard.

Lena joined them, certain she could appeal to Otis’ self-preservation and greed. She acknowledged the guard as she walked up but chose to ignore Supergirl standing behind him. She wasn’t sure if her tactics would be appreciated and she wanted to make it clear to the superhero who was running the show.

“Those devices have been historically unstable,” she told Otis, gesturing at his torso, “but I have the schematics, and I’m more capable than Eve or Lex. Cooperate and I can help you.” 

He looked concerned and uncomfortable for a moment before responding, “What do you want?”

“We may have a few questions.”

Otis squinted at her. “Maybe I’ll answer them.”

She hadn’t expected much from this Graves twin. She filed the response and re-joined Brainy, sure they could negotiate as they progressed.

“I know you told Alex about this, but can you tell me how you met Lex?” Brainy asked.

Linda smiled, her face lighting up before it dimmed quickly. “There was a boy, Mikhail. I heard him being attacked by thieves in his house one night. I saved him. And I killed the intruders, though that wasn’t my intent. I was still learning my strength. That night Lex came, when the soldiers wouldn’t enter the house.”

Brainy swiveled around to look at Otis. “It was easy for Lex to move around?”

Otis shrugged. “Seemed to be. He had the right people in his pocket. I just received coordinates and showed up to drive.”

“Right,” Brainy said, turning back. “We’ll follow up on that.”

Lena noticed Linda fidgeting during the pause in her story.

She reached out to lay a hand on Linda’s arm as Brainy finished speaking. “What is it?”

“Just..Mikhail.” Linda was slowly rocking. “I was able to fly over and visit him sometimes. Lex even joined me once. We’d have tea and talk about his schoolwork and practice English. His mother worked a lot and it was just the two of them. I’d kick a football around with him sometimes. I replaced them until I figured out my strength.”

Linda stopped, tears in her eyes.

Lena sensed this wasn’t going anywhere pleasant, but it was possibly a critical point in Linda’s story. Brainy looked concerned but when they locked eyes, he gave her a short nod, even as he stood and twirled his ring.

Lena ducked her head down to where Linda’s had fallen as she’d gone still. “Where is Mikhail?”

From decades with Luthors, she knew to watch the pieces. She kept her hand on Linda’s arm but split her attention between her and Otis.

“An American missile – made by Americans, fired by Americans – I saw the proof. It hit the area of their house. I heard it and flew there,” Linda choked out. “He and his mother didn’t do anything. It was intentional, Lex told me when he found me in the wreckage; typical Americans not caring about hurting people. Parts of Mikhail’s things were there. I didn’t find his body – he must have been blown up, leaving nothing to find. It made me so angry and vindictive. I attacked the attackers. I know now it was wrong, but that’s how it started. That’s what first gave me an enemy.”

Linda was distraught. Lena moved to sit by her and put an arm around her, mostly watching Otis, whose poker face had been inadequate. He knew something.

A quick glance past Otis showed Lena that Supergirl also was splitting attention between Linda and Otis, but her expression was shifting between the two, something that looked almost like stunned sympathy for Linda and a very clear anger at Otis, the available substitute for Lex.

Brainy was kneeling next to Linda now, telling her he was sorry and that they were going to stop asking questions until later.

Lena saw Kara pick up on this, and she and the guard escorted him out. She gestured to Brainy who sat down next to Linda, his hands folded in front of him, keeping her company. The shield opened, Alex anticipating Lena’s exit, as Supergirl walked back in.

Lena rushed by her, feigning upset. She didn’t want observers to follow, and she doubted that one was going to test boundaries.

“What is it, Otis?” she led with as she burst through the door, startling the guard into alert until he recognized her and relaxed. “You know something. Maybe it can help you. I’m one of a very limited number of people who can keep you alive.”

“The boss didn’t tell me much,” Otis replied from his improvised cell.

“I can’t imagine why,” Lena snarked back. She had no patience for this, so she headed towards the door throwing back over her shoulder, “And it sounds like you want to remain obligated to someone with so little respect for you.”

“What I want is the pain gone,” Otis blurted out after her.

Lena stopped, turned, and gave him a measuring stare. “I can do that,” she hedged.

Emboldened, he pushed for more. “And I want my freedom.”

“What am I getting?” she demanded to know.

“Do you want the boy?”

“Are you saying he’s alive?”

“He may be.”

She stared at him with narrowed eyes. “I don’t have time for this.”

“Okay, he is,” Otis admitted.

“He can be part of it,” Lena granted. “You’re also going to tell Agent Dox who and what you saw when you were with Lex and where that was. I can arrange for medical care and protection after we get the boy and the information.”

“My freedom?”

“We’ll see. I think we can arrange at least a suitable approximation.”

Otis hesitated, then nodded. Lena’s phone was already out and recording. 

The boy could be a key to securing Linda’s faith in them and a possible new direction for her. Lena was going to get to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter. My plan is still one more, word count unknown, but you can see a pattern. Lena and Kara will dig into their relationship.
> 
> Otis was always going to be used as a connection to Mikhail in the story but I did change how he was brought in and what he wanted for cooperating with the metallo thing from 4x17.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lena and Kara talk and everyone works to take out a supervillian.
> 
> Change in # of chapters - the last chapter was going to be very long so I’m splitting it in two.

Kara knew the experience was going to be surreal and it was living up to that expectation. With Alex gone to look for Lena, and Brainy off to find a place to work on Vasquez-Dox investigations, Kara found herself standing across a shield barrier from her double, the two of them silently sizing each other up.

Outrage pulsed in her at the thought of how Linda had used her powers, their powers, to maim and kill. But keeping it company was a sense of responsibility for Linda’s existence as well as the words of Alex and Lena, who weren’t giving Linda a pass but were encouraging a more nuanced evaluation of her situation.

The story that Linda had broken down during provided a place to start between them that wasn’t packed with antagonism. Kara needed to talk to her, to stop hiding from something that wasn’t going away.

She took a step closer to the shield. Linda’s eyes followed her as she stopped with arms crossed, rocking slightly on the balls of her feet. Linda didn’t move.

“I’m sorry,” Kara started. “I think Lex was behind the attack on Mikhail to sway you to his side, but whether he was or not, you lost someone important to you. It must be very painful.”

Linda’s head fell forward at Kara’s words. After a few seconds, her eyes moved up to Kara’s. “It is. Mikhail made me feel normal. He was surprised when I destroyed one of his footballs, but he comforted me when he saw I was upset. After that, he’d just laugh because I’d always bring two from the base so we’d have an extra. I learned control that way.” She looked down again. “We were friends.”

A similar memory flashed through Kara. “Children helped me learn control too,” she said, extending her own experience to Linda. “Mostly Alex. I don’t know how many things I broke, far more than some footballs. Alex was not as understanding as Mikhail at first, but we ended up in a much closer place through such moments.”

“I know,” Linda replied. “I mean, I felt a security with Alex, that she’s safe for me. I thought I had something like that with Lex. He said what we were doing was about him and me, that I would be his legacy. But I was forcing myself to see a connection without real evidence, because I wanted to have it so badly.”

“You didn’t realize you were grasping?”

Linda shook her head. “I didn’t think about it that way.”

“And you did the things he asked because of what he told you?” Kara was surprised by the genuine curiosity she felt as she posed the question. Resentment and hostility were still there, but a desire for understanding had peeked through.

Linda ducked her head further, eyes on the floor now. “Yes. He told me I could bring peace and equality. And what he had me read and what we debated showed the world needed those things and it wasn’t achieving them. I thought my actions were right, that they’d free people from what was holding them down, including those maintaining systems that oppressed. That was my main motivation.”

“Did anything else drive you?” Kara asked, suspecting the answer.

“Anger,” Linda answered after a few thoughtful seconds. “Some of it came from experiences I had like Mikhail’s death, the soldiers insulting me at the base, my first interactions in America. But it was in me from the beginning. I can’t tell you where it came from because I don’t remember. When I’d be overwhelmed, the anger and grief would break out. I should have tried to understand and control it, but Lex thought it could be useful. And I listened to him.” She met Kara’s eyes with the last words, a sorrow skeptical that it would be validated on her face.

Of course, Kara thought feeling disheartened, her memories hadn’t transferred, but her anger, grief, and pain had. They’d been passed to a super-powered alien transported into a situation where she was weaponized, and the traumatic feelings she came with were a bonus short-cut for those bending her to their agenda.

“I carry a lot of anger, and grief too,” Kara said in a low voice, unenthused about expressing empathy but knowing how alike they were in this.

“You know what to do with it?” Linda asked, peering at her.

“Not always,” Kara said with a wry set to her lips, “but the people who took me in were good people. The examples they gave me for appropriate emotional expression helped get me through flare ups.”

“I’d like to learn what to do with mine,” Linda stated.

“Maybe we could teach you,” Kara offered.

“I’d like that. I think Alex and Lena see me as more than what I did. I want to live up to the help and understanding they’ve given me and make amends. Maybe I can work with them when this is over. The world doesn’t need Lex Luthor’s legacy, and I’m sorry I was naive enough to think it did.”

“Alex told me you didn’t want to be looked on anymore with hate and fear. It sounds like you’ve found a place to start towards that.”

Linda gave Kara a strained smile before she turned away and sat on the edge of her bed. “I will try.” 

Kara’s relief at Linda’s withdrawal from their conversation was undeniable. The talk had been enlightening but uncomfortable, and she’d be alright with letting some time go by before the two of them talked again.

She wasn’t getting that just yet. As she headed for the door, Linda called after her, a statement with no question in it, “I’m you.”

Kara didn’t let her body visibly falter except to press her eyes closed, which Linda couldn’t see. A simple answer came, “Yes.” She hurried her steps, wanting to avoid anything further.

She heard “How?” as she exited, her own accented voice reaching out.

Kara released the door to close behind her and continued with a weight in her chest, wanting to find Alex.

\--

“The boy matters to her,” Lena said, tamping down the urgency she felt and transferring it to hands that slowly clutched and released each other. “She pushed through Lex’s lies, because of ‘Alex’. She clung to the identity she recognized in the face of his operant conditioning. Mikhail is another step, a way to reinforce the path away from Lex and back to herself. She didn’t intentionally kill or destroy before losing Mikhail. She knows that loss gave her an enemy and a willingness to go to extremes. What happens if we take his death away and give her back her only real friend from that time, a reminder of where she started?”

“You think that will put her on our side?” Alex asked, doubtful as she leaned against the counter.

“I think it will move her in that direction,” Lena said, stilling her hands on the granite top of the island in front of her. “Lex’s methods were effective, but she was exposed for a limited time. She’s smart, strong, empathetic, and no longer under his direct control. Shouldn’t we take steps to keep her from being influenced by him again by giving her real attachments? That may not put her on our side, but it could keep her from being on his, which helps her and us.”

Before Alex could reply, Kara walked into the kitchen area. Lena’s shoulders immediately stiffened, and she looked away from the superhero, frustrated by the interruption and unsettled by the other’s appearance.

Kara stifled a sigh before exchanging a look with Alex. “Otis didn’t let Mikhail die.”

“You heard?” Alex asked, eyebrows raised.

“On the way up here. I was looking for you, not trying to eavesdrop,” she hurried to explain when Lena looked over, frowning. “But I kept listening because of the subject. I think bringing Mikhail here, giving back what Lex took, makes sense. I could get Mikhail now if we know where he is and he’s willing to come with me.”

“No,” Lena admonished Kara. “You can’t take him without a plan.”

“Why not?” Kara returned. “We just need him here.”

“Not much for forethought, are you?” Lena asked, throwing out testy words partly to enforce for Kara the separation between them.

“That is not helpful,” Kara replied, temper charging up.

“Stop, both of you,” Alex raised her voice. “We do need a plan. I may have an idea for one that also keeps Lex off-balance, so lose the sniping and listen.”

Both dropped the glares and turned to her. 

“What is it?” Lena inquired.

“You disabled the surveillance when you infiltrated Lex’s facility, right?” Alex asked Lena.

“Yes.”

“That means Lex only suspects what happened, he doesn’t know. What if we create a red herring for him to follow?” Alex was tapping fingers on the counter, working through the idea. “Lena, you’ll be able to find Mikhail?”

“We should have his family’s location within 24 hours through a secure search.”

“When we know it, I think we send Supergirl to Kaznia to get him.”

“Why?” Lena sputtered. “I have people who can handle this.”

Kara remained quiet, feeling vindicated but waiting on the details.

“Supergirl goes as Linda,” Alex outlined. “Makes a few appearances, drops a few words to the locals. Lex hears about it and thinks Linda’s gone home after escaping. Escape being the key thing we want him to believe.”

“Please explain how this ruse is better than just going to get the boy,” Kara requested, not enamored with the idea of posing as her Kaznian counterpart.

Alex complied, “Lex points resources looking for Linda at Kaznia, easing pressure here. If Linda comes back into contact with Lex, he’s unsure about where she’s been and what she’s been doing. Finally, we can arrange for an agent to tell Mikhail about where his friend’s been seen and convince him to tell his mother he’ll be gone for a short visit to said friend. That keeps things neat and safe for Mikhail and his mother by limiting the people involved in what’s happening.”

A finger slid back and forth along Lena’s lower lip while she followed along, intrigued as soon as Alex detailed how they’d mislead Lex. “Can Supergirl speak Russian with a Kaznian accent?”

“I can get the needed phrases down in terms of proper pronunciation,” Kara responded. “And I have a basic understanding of Russian.”

“She’s amazing with languages,” Alex backed her up.

Lena nodded, looking at Alex. “In your scenario, Lex may presume Otis was killed by Linda?”

“Possibly.”

“That would also help us. It’s a good idea,” Lena agreed after a few seconds. “We need to keep the execution simple. Lex can’t get the faintest whiff that Mikhail is alive. I’ll get the location information to you as soon as I have it.”

“You can get away on short notice?” Alex asked Kara.

“Yes. I’ll brush up on Russian and get Linda’s clothes.”

“Easy enough. Sounds like we have a strategy,” Alex concluded, pleased that the three of them had been able to ignore some smoldering realities for a few minutes. She shared a satisfied look with Kara, who was looking forward to an opportunity to act.

Lena’s thoughts hovered around Kaznia and what was needed there. But thinking about Linda’s supposed country of origin and having Alex and Kara present brought a topic to mind that had thus far been avoided.

“We should talk about how Linda is here,” Lena proposed.

Alex looked over, her displeasure at the disturbance of their minor victory evident, but Lena lifted an eyebrow in return and mouthed “difficult questions”. Alex huffed at the reminder.

Kara was surprised by the question only because it meant Lena was choosing to extend their time together. Her double’s existence absolutely begged for an explanation. Kara was ready, particularly after the exchange with Linda, to give one. Linda had a right to know her origin, and all of them needed the truth to be out in the open.

“It’s because of me.”

Noting Alex’s and Lena’s confusion at her assertion, Kara forged on before comments came, “The timing fits. I used the harun-el when we went up against Reign. Coming in contact with it must have resulted in Linda.”

“But you weren’t supposed to touch the harun-el on that mission,” Lena said, “because of what happened with the cult.”

“Improvisation was required,” Alex explained, familiar with the briefing on Reign’s defeat.

Kara felt a pained smile form at the reminder of the briefing report. For the first time she was going to tell the complete story and others were going to understand the scale of her omission.

So she told them how the no-holds-barred assault on Reign had ended the Worldkiller but also left Sam, Alura, and every Legion member dead, how she’d realized her mistake in trying to kill Reign and seen another option to take, and how she’d cheated by changing time and using the harun-el to help seal Reign away. 

“I kept people alive,” she concluded, “but now, my very purposeful decision has me staring across a containment shield at a very different, unexpected consequence.”

“Linda split from you when you handled harun-el in the,” Alex paused, not believing she was saying this without Barry Allen or his associates around, “changed timeline.”

“Yes.” 

Alex wasn’t leaning on the counter anymore, having gradually gone fully upright as Kara’s story had progressed. She bobbed her head several times, as if rhythmic movement would bring some sense to this. 

“And she landed in Lex Luthor’s lap. Okaaaay,” Alex drew the word out slowly, “the harun-el as a mechanism for splitting Kryptonians isn’t out of left field, but the rest of that story was. I’m going to go,” she waved in the lab’s general direction, “keep our guest company and ponder this. I’ll catch up with you in a while.” She took a step, opened the refrigerator and grabbed a variety of bottles and bags to take with her, shooting Kara a long look as she left.

Lena had watched Kara and Alex with a mixture of fascination and dubiousness. She was versed on the potential of encountering alternate realities and doppelgangers from Winn, but it was still jolting to have it confirmed that Linda was Kara, or had split from her, by how that happened. Also interested in finding space to think about the ramifications, she moved seconds later to follow Alex.

Kara just stopped herself from stepping in front of Lena. She didn’t know how often they were going to be alone together while everything played out, and she needed to talk to her. “Lena, please stay, just for a few minutes,” she called out.

Lena stopped and looked at Kara, forcing herself not to react to the pleading in that voice she once looked forward to hearing. “You want to talk?” she asked, masking her agitation at Kara and at her own susceptibility to the other woman’s requests. “Now?”

“If you would,” Kara said, resolute. 

Lena chastised herself for not walking away, but a part of her wanted to hear what Kara had to say, to end the redundant, speculative justifications for the identity lies that went through her mind.

Kara took Lena’s pause as an opening, her gaze flickering from her friend to the counter next to her and back. “Almost a year ago, I made a decision, and I was certain of it. And I still am, even with this outcome. But the outcome is my responsibility.” She stopped, tensing her jaw and pursing her lips, encouraging herself to be strong. She raised her hand, angling it in Lena’s direction.

“For two years, I’ve repeatedly made a decision about you. I stuck with that decision, until yesterday when it became obsolete. The outcome…” she hesitated, knowing so much hinged on how Lena would take this.

“Is unfortunate because even after all of that deception a Luthor knows your identity,” Lena finished for her, tone harsh. “Ironic the lengths you went to with me given the most dangerous Luthor has known it for quite a while. Or,” Lena pointed at herself, “do you consider me the most dangerous?”

“No,” Kara countered, shaking her head emphatically as Lena finished. “I didn’t keep it from you because of that. Not after you showed over and over how good you are. Our families have a history, but you are not like your family, and I am not my cousin, and I know that.

“I was going to say the outcome of my decision is, again, my responsibility. I knew this secret would hurt you, especially if you found out like this. I want to tell you why I made the decisions I did.” Kara steeled herself for whatever came from her next statement. “I kept my identity from you to protect you.”

Lena’s eyes went wide. “You were trying to protect me?” 

That one had been considered and dismissed early on during Lena’s justification round robin. It was ridiculous to her, and she quickly made that clear to Kara. “So, tell me, did attempts on my life stop when I didn’t know who you were? Because I remember a fair few of them. Might have been nice to know who my best friend was during those.” Lena’s voice dripped with sarcasm.

Kara squirmed but listened. She had to stand before this and let Lena speak her mind.

“Was I protected when my psychopathic, brilliant brother knew your identity, knew that Supergirl’s alter ego was someone close to me, and I didn’t?” A key revelation suddenly rose from those thoughts. “And if Lex knew Lillian knew, didn’t she?”

Kara tensed and Lena read it. “Alright, that makes me furious. Because was I protected when Lillian knew, and I didn’t? My family knew, people who would turn and twist anything and anyone they could to their advantage against me. Was I protected?”

“Lillian is in jail and Lex was supposed to be,” Kara scrambled to explain. “I worried about the people who weren’t, who had easier access to you. You just said you have people coming after you without you having a connection to Supergirl. If you knew who I was…I have enemies, dangerous ones. People would use it against you. I couldn’t put you in more danger. I want you to be safe. I care about you.”

“Your explanation doesn’t make a lot of sense given my reality,” Lena responded to Kara’s claim. “Particularly when you know how I feel about people lying to me. Are you sure all of the lying didn’t just lead to a pleasant, mostly fake friendship for you, a connection to a person with influence to wield, a way to keep me ‘close’?”

“Of course not! I didn’t fake how important you were to me.” Kara worked with only partial success to keep her voice calm as she heard the air quotes on Lena’s last word. She’d known this was where Lena could go, but the idea of Lena thinking their relationship was a charade still provoked a strong response in her.

“Whatever your intentions, Kara, you can’t deny the continual dishonesty and the way you interacted with me gave you an advantage in our relationship that you used. I opened myself up to you and you hid more and more from me.” Lena hung her head for a split second ashamed at the admission before bringing it up again, defenses back and eyes savage.

“I knew the last part was happening,” Kara admitted, her stomach in knots at Lena’s expression, “and I wanted to change it, but I didn’t know how to without endangering you more. But the position I put you in with the way I acted - I’m starting to understand how harmful that was. I’m sorry.”

Lena sighed, long and slow. She couldn’t look at Kara. “Maybe one day you’ll fully comprehend what you did to us,” she said before walking away without another word.

Kara stared after her. “Us” Lena had said. The ache that had intensified with their conversation reminded her how deep her feelings were for the woman who’d just walked out on her, and her distress expanded as she wondered what Lena had thought and now must think about the two of them.

Lena didn’t look back and she didn’t wipe her eyes until she was out of human sight.

\--

Lena stared herself down in a bathroom mirror until her eyes lost their puffiness and her neutral expression dominated, then checked in on the search for Mikhail she’d initiated when she'd finished with Otis. With Lex having targeted him once, knowing the boy’s location and how secure it was mattered to Lena regardless of whether he was brought in or not.

With that completed, she joined Brainy in a workspace on the first floor and found the supplies and equipment for the serum work waiting on a corner bench. They’d arrived from L Corp under Brainy’s supervision.

After starting a set of trials, she walked over to the Coulan, who was scanning data at excessive speeds.

“How’s the deep dive into fascism funding going?” she asked.

Brainy swung his chair around, his hands pressing against each other in front of him. “It’s disturbing,” he responded, “especially when you know you’re a target of all of this effort.”

Lena sat down in the second desk chair, facing him. “I imagine it is. I’m just waiting on an experiment. I’d be happy to help if I can.”

“How are you with business financials?” he asked, his lips twitching.

“I get by,” she responded with a wink. 

He pointed to the workstation next to her. “We have some suspicious companies that may be laundering payments from unknowns to the Children and to Agent Liberty directly. Could you take a look?”

Lena nodded and sat down, finding herself pulled into reports and statements on the lookout for breadcrumbs.

They worked in quiet camaraderie, an occasional comment or question passing between them. Lena found a few lines of suspicious activity that called for further exploration. When Brainy came back from a break with food and drink she pushed back from the desk to stand and stretch.

“Thank you,” Lena said as he handed her two pieces of fruit and set down coffee and water. “I have some things for you and Vasquez to check.”

“Good,” Brainy said with enthusiasm. “Progress inspires. I was just speaking to Supergirl about her going to Kaznia to get Mikhail. That could be a huge step with Linda.”

The furrow on Brainy’s forehead told Lena that he’d noticed her expression become strained at the mention of Supergirl. 

“You know,” Brainy said, surely heading in a direction Lena didn’t want to go, “Supergirl also experienced a change in tension when I mentioned being down here with you. Except you look like you’re fuming, and she looks sad. I ask because I’m concerned, but of course let me know if I’m overstepping: Have you and Supergirl talked about the exposure of her identity?”

“You mean her consistent lying about her identity? Yes, we have,” Lena informed him sharply.

“I take it from your tone and the way both of you seem affected that didn’t go well.”

“Years of dishonesty can lead to that.” The indignation that went into those words sprang out before she could stop it. “Sorry,” she said, “that wasn’t aimed at you.”

“I know,” he said, his steady care still apparent even after her snapped reply. “I understand deception and damage. You’re good at hiding pain, but it’s there. I just wonder, because sometimes understanding personal entanglements is challenging for me…”

He took a few seconds before continuing, “Kara has told me how important you are to her. She wanted to protect you and thought she needed to hide a part of herself. If she made a mistake, does why influence how you feel about it?”

“I don’t think she sees it as a mistake like I do, and I’m not sure she will,” Lena said. “What you said about her intentions with this, I believe that’s true. But what she did changed and shaped our relationship; she placed obstacles between us that only she knew about and she mixed her two identities with me in ways that weren’t fair and make me question who this was good for. I had no input on it. Sometimes this feeling of something being not quite right between us existed, but I couldn’t put my finger on what exactly was wrong.”

Brainy seemed to be carefully contemplating his next words, then gave a little head bob before responding, “Your relationship changed over those two years as the evasions became more prominent. In the beginning, they were less common because you and Kara were less involved and there weren’t as many reasons to lie. But would you say it’s also changed in that you two are closer than when you met?”

“I think we grew closer,” Lena grudgingly acknowledged. “But who was I growing closer to? And how close we could be was affected by the fact Kara also relates to people, including me, as Supergirl. She controlled that.

“I can see this is a complex situation,” Brainy said sympathetically. 

In the corner, the trial timer went off, pulling their attention to it.

“Could I take a look at your work?” Brainy inquired.

Lena agreed, grateful for the change in subject, and the two of them proceeded to break down and analyze the serum experiment. 

“We’re getting closer,” Lena summed up the positive results as they packed up the materials. “We’ve isolated all of the serum elements that provide powers and we can counteract all but one, which shouldn’t be too difficult to work out.”

Brainy was writing out a few reactions and equations as Lena spoke. He handed them to her. “You have a way to render the elements inert, but this additional step should make them easy for the body to metabolize. They’ll be cleared from the bloodstream by the kidneys and excreted. That should remove any chance of them being activated in someone again.”

“That’s a great improvement, Brainy,” Lena said, admiring the elegant suggestion.

“Thank you,” Brainy said, looking vaguely pleased with his contribution before reverting to somber. “Of course, after you’ve developed a complete countermeasure, the next step is to be able to administer it. Lex will have long-range defenses, and I doubt he’ll let you just walk up to him.”

“We should be so lucky,” Lena said with a tight smile. “But there may be someone he will allow to get close. Someone coming back to the fold.”

Brainy raised a questioning eyebrow at Lena. “You think that will work?”

“We’ll have to see where Linda is at when we’re ready. But remember, we have two identical super-powered aliens to ask to play that role. And I’m willing to personally do anything I have to in order to get those enhancements out of him,” Lena concluded.

The mission was to stop Lex, Lena reiterated to herself, and they were so close on having the tool to depower her destructive brother. It brought a small comfort that she could right this particular wrong.

With the trial successfully completed, she found her mind not surprisingly strayingto Brainy’s other words, those about Kara. Lena had shut down right after talking to Kara, refusing to indulge in an emotional response. Her analytical side noted that Kara’s reasoning had been something Kara found she needed to explain to others; possibly what she was withholding had troubled her. But where the decisions coming from that reasoning had put the two of them still left Lena untethered. She had felt too much for Kara for a long time. And she continued to suspect that those feelings had played into her inability to put two and two together in terms of her best friend. Kara really had gotten through her defenses. She was going to need to decide whether and how she still wanted her there.

\--

The debriefing of Linda complete, Alex was spending her time lying on the cot, throwing a bright red stress ball into the air and catching it over and over again. She figured her brain could use a break given the recent incursions suffered. And she suspected relaxing with alcohol was a bad choice for her recovering gray matter.

She glanced over at Linda, who was done sorting through the books, puzzles, and creative supplies that J’onn had brought by. She’d broken out a 3-D puzzle and was carefully examining it as she sat cross-legged on the floor. Her deliberate movements were such a throwback to young Kara, Alex thought. She found some joy in the fact that the memories popping up actually included a young Kara with superpower issues.

Alex took her eyes off the ball for a second when the door opened, and it bopped her on the nose on the way down. She leaned over the cot to grab it before it rolled out of reach and sat up to find herself face to face with Kara, dressed as Kara and leaning against the desk.

Alex scrunched her face in confusion at the outfit as she sat up on the edge of the cot. “Are you leaving?”

“Yeah,” Kara replied. “I have Linda’s clothes and I need to get other things ready. J’onn’s coming with me. I’m meeting him to do some travel planning.” She glanced over at the chamber. “What happened in the debrief with Linda?”

Alex filled Kara in on what she’d learned about: the way Lex had given Linda gifts of books and other novelties, how he’d presented his views, how he’d woven his disappointment with his sister and ‘people’ into their conversations. 

“He set up America as the main problem in the world, and then told her that Americans had seeded the sky with poison, when it was his lackeys who did it. He portrayed himself as her savior. I tried to correct that,” Alex said. “I could see the wheels turning in her head over one more lie. The kryptonite atmosphere incident was also when she learned where she was from, and it was the first time you were introduced as America’s protector as well as her “sister” who usurped her position.”

“She got the full-force treatment, didn’t she?” Kara commented. “It has to be hard recognizing the conditioning as she looks back on it. If it all isn’t an act.”

“Did you think it was when you talked to her?” Alex asked.

“I’m not sure. If it is, it’s a good one because her remorse seems real.”

“That’s strongly linked with the killing,” Alex said.

Kara gasped at Alex’s retelling of the missile destroyer’s crew, even knowing about Linda attacking Mikhail’s attackers and the White House. Alex pointed out the influence that Lex exerted in that high-tension situation as he tried to regain control; he obviously had lost track in his calculations of what it was to have such a strong protective instinct for another person rooted in love, if he’d ever had such feelings. After the destroyer disaster, Linda had been left by him in isolation at the Kaznian base, abandoned by the person who had set himself up as her friend and partner.

Not long after the attack on the ship, Linda had unexpectedly fallen into a coma after a small bleed from her nose was noticed. She could only tell Alex that when she awoke, it was to Lex saving her with a transfusion from himself; no one told her what had caused the loss of consciousness.

Kara raised her eyebrows and rolled her eyes at that. “He really pushed how he was the one to rescue her, didn’t he?”

Alex’s lip twitched to the side. “Yes, but I think she’s clearer on how he manipulated situations to appear in that role. She provided some information on where Lex has been and who he’s met that I’ll pass on to Brainy and J’onn along with intel from Otis.”

“She didn’t have any more information about the coma?” Kara asked. “She said she was unconscious for weeks. The timing suggests Lex didn’t try a transfusion until the serum was in his body. That doesn’t seem like a coincidence.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Alex agreed. “I was going to bring it up with Lena, see if she had any insight.”

Kara had to clear a lump in her throat that formed at the name before she could comment. “That’s a good idea.”

Alex saw the crumble of Kara’s expression before she pulled it back together. “Did you two talk?” Alex asked.

Kara picked her phrasing carefully, “We exchanged words.” Then the emotional weight caught up to her and more followed, “She despises me.”

Even realizing it was fraught territory, Alex couldn’t stop herself debating Kara on that, “She doesn’t despise you. You did what you thought was right, and that is something Lena respects. You’ll have to see where this goes, give it time. So much about all of this,” she made a sweeping motion to encompass the building they were in and its inhabitants, “is a shock to her.”

“You didn’t hear her,” Kara squeaked out, putting a hand up to press against her temple, a counterpoint of pressure to alleviate what was settling behind her eyes.

“She’s hurt, Kara. And your willingness to explain your decision as well as your relationship with her mean you are going to listen to anything she says to you, regardless of how it affects you. You want to do everything you can to fix this, to not lose her, and you’re looking at every interaction as an opportunity.” Alex put her hand up to stop her sister as she inhaled to interrupt. “That is your choice. And who can say at this time if it'll work or not. Just be willing to adapt your strategy and remember that time may be your best ally.

“Funny to think of more time as an ally, with all the time I’ve let go by.” Kara chewed on her lower lip, remembering. “I was afraid to tell her. And there were times I would think I could, that it could be okay, and then something would happen to prove otherwise. I was as close as I’ve ever been in the past few months but then Lex happened.”

“You’re both damaged by this,” Alex allowed. She decided to try to get Kara to confess the emotions that were underlying some of the hurt and betrayal. “And your unacknowledged interest in each other as more than friends complicates how you’re both reacting.”

Kara shook her head at Alex, not because she was denying it at this point, but because how could it matter anymore. “I don’t think that’s the factor you think it is.”

“You might be surprised, so don't rule it out,” Alex countered. “I’ll just say, given your affection for your friend, your relationship not going beyond friendly made a lot more sense after I found out Kara and Supergirl were the same person when I was still mind-wiped. I knew that until you told her your identity your relationship wasn’t going any further. Because when I didn’t know you were Supergirl, I wasn’t really sure what was holding Kara back given how the two of you dance around each other.”

Kara was sure she didn’t want to think deeply about this and flicked her sister’s arm with just enough force to get noticed, while directing an exasperated “Shut up,” at her.

Alex looked at her arm and then up at her sister. “You can try to play it off, but you’ve had strong feelings for her for a while. If you ever want to talk about it, I’m here. I’ll even give you a sibling minimal judgement guarantee.”

Kara hung her head for a second at her sister’s understanding. “Thank you,” she breathed into the space between them. “I don’t feel like I deserve that kind of support from you. I keep expecting something else.”

Alex was taken aback by the disclosure. “Why?”

At that the dam in Kara brokeand her guilt poured out in a rushed statement. “I brought Linda here and she ended up with Lex. His anti-alien crusade with her at his side is one of the reasons you had to go through months with a wiped memory.”

“Woah, slow down,” Alex said, both hands up palms towards Kara at the unexpected outburst. “We said we were going to talk about all of this, and work through it. You made a decision almost a year ago to save people. I’m not looking at that and automatically blaming you for the past few months.”

“But I’m responsible.”

“We could argue your responsibility for a far-flung, anti-alien movement, and I’d win,” Alex gave her sister a cheeky grin. “But we don’t need to because I don’t blame you for Lex Luthor’s megalomania and people’s susceptibility to it, including people at the DEO. You deserve my support, Kara. I want you to know that before you go flying off on this assignment. Okay?”

Kara closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She’d accept her sister’s word for now. “Okay. I should go. I’ll see you soon.”

Alex stood up and pulled her into a hug. “I love you. See you soon.”

\--

Kara headed out to meet J’onn, her heart less hollow after her talk with Alex. To have her sister reiterate faith in her helped her focus on the task ahead. And she may have tried to downplay how she felt about Lena to Alex, but she cherished the tacit support offered in that arena. 

Knowing Lena, it wasn’t a stretch to assume she somehow held herself responsible for Lex’s handiwork with Linda. If Kara could improve that situation by bringing back Mikhail, she would happily do it. And crushing Lex Luthor’s aspirations was a huge incentive as well. 

\--

Lena pushed into the lab late to find Alex scanning through websites on Kazina while Linda appeared to be…painting.

“What’s going on?” Lena jutted her chin toward the containment structure.

“J’onn, Brainy, and I talked about seeing if we could spark a memory or make a connection with activities Linda has talked about or that we know Kara likes,” Alex said, casually dropping her sister’s name and checking for a reaction. None appeared. She flicked a hand towards Linda’s space. “J’onn brought a few things. What are you up to?”

Lena was there partly because she wanted to ensure Linda didn’t feel alone, knowing how Lex had used abandonment with her. And it was partly because with Linda she felt light in the presence of a familiar face and familiar quirks, allowing a temporary disavowal of where her relationship with Kara was at. She wasn’t telling Alex either of those things.

Instead Lena held up the other reason, Chocos and Red Vines. “Interacting? I thought Linda might share Kara’s questionable eating habits.”

Alex nodded, glad that Lena was able to recall a non-painful aspect of her sister. “Good choices.”

“Will you cover me while I’m in there?” Lena asked. 

“Can I get a couple of those?”

She let Lena in as she chewed on the first piece of licorice, watching the Lena and Linda interactions with interest between reading articles about corruption in the Kaznian government and military that indicated how easily Lex could have gained influence.

Lena emerged an hour later, cheeks pink from a laugh after Linda told her about Lex’s take on certain literature. Without making Linda feel self-conscious, she took some well-aimed shots at Lex’s hubris that made Linda smile twice. She’d departed with a promise to bring a chess set the next day.

The notification came through as she was walking over to Brainy, who’d replaced Alex at the desk. She paused with an explanation of “Kaznia” to him and read through it. Location confirmation and other information in hand, Lena sat on the edge of the desk to send off the already prepared and agreed-upon requests for assistance from her contacts. Then she handed the phone to Brainy and asked him to get the initial information to Supergirl. He took it to fulfill the request.

A little more than 24 hours ago their lives and plans had been shaken up. Now, their next steps would advance from what came out of Kaznia.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lex isn’t in this chapter and he’s the worst, changes and concern for Linda, Lena and Kara have a small moment.
> 
> I didn’t do a great job with chapter breaks for this story, part of the reason I ended up writing the rest of it and then figuring out chapters and posting the last three chapters on the same day.

Standing on the chilly balcony, Lena snugged deeper into the long black sweater she’d pulled on over tank top and leggings and watched the sight below her. The forested outcropping that she looked over had three people standing around it while a fourth hovered ten feet off the ground, neck bent back so her face could catch slivers of morning light that lanced through the trees. Wearing power-dampening cuffs allowed Linda a limited freedom.

Even with the downgrade, a mix of formidable aliens were in place around her. Dreamer, Brainy, and a Phorian who Lena recognized as Erika, Marcus’ mother, formed a loose boundary. They all were looking skyward, vigilant.

The relaxed look on Linda’s face made Lena smile. That, and the blue and yellow oversized T shirt she had on over her black, long-sleeved athletic shirt that appeared to read Don’t Hassle Me, I’m Local. Linda had been held inside by Lex for the time she was missing and bringing her outside was the type of small gesture of trust and care that they could make to acknowledge the assistance she’d given them. It also contrasted them with Lex.

Certain that Alex had played a part in this, Lena left the balcony to find her.

Alex was sitting in the lab’s desk chair in a grey t shirt and dark brown cargo pants, feet bare and hair slightly damp and spiky when Lena walked in.

“Any news from Kaznia?” she asked the her.

“Good morning to you, too,” Alex replied. “Is one of those for me?” She gestured at the two stainless steel tumblers Lena was carrying. 

“One could be,” Lena replied with a raised eyebrow.

“Fine,” Alex grumbled. “J’onn made contact and is working to get Mikhail to Kara. Hopefully they can return today.”

“Interesting choice to take J’onn to Kaznia. Is he also a polyglot?” Lena asked, handing over a tumbler. 

“J’onn’s a perfect choice because he can blend in anywhere,” Alex replied without really thinking about it as she opened the lid, breathing in the roasted aroma.

A pause preceded Lena’s exhaled realization, “Oh my god, he shapeshifts too.”

“Maybe,” Alex let on slowly, noticing Lena shaking her head. She often forgot how many talents J’onn had.

“What else?” Lena asked with a bit of bite. She didn’t have time to dwell on learning who had talked to her while playing as Kara, but she could express some unhappiness about it.

Alex ignored the tone and squinted into the distance as she mentally ticked things off, then looked up at Lena. “I think you’ve heard of all of the major powers of green Martians now.”

Lena sighed, knowing she was going to have to tolerate her current reality being a steady stream of revelations concerning things that everyone around her knew about. She moved on to the inspiration for her visit. “I was watching Linda outside. Your idea?”

“Mine and Brainy’s,” Alex concurred. “We were up early and able to get some backup help here. I talked to Linda last night about Lex-related things. You’ve seen the notes?”

Lena nodded. As Alex fidgeted with her mug, Lena eyed her, curious about what prompted the behavior.

“I also talked to her about the connection she feels with me and about the Danvers sisters,” Alex continued, wanting to share this with someone who was also trying to understand Linda, and counting on Lena telling her if she had an issue with the topic. “She has a sense of Kara’s side of our relationship from the journal. I gave her an abbreviated version of Kara’s place in my life, affected somewhat by the memory issue. And I explained how Kara is family who found me, and how that’s the way this group’s been built and keeps adding people.”

Alex rose and wandered around to lean back against the desk, both hands encircling her drink. “She squeezed my hand at that. I asked her if she wanted to know how she got here, which she did. After all of that heaviness, and with what she’s told us,” Alex said, “she doesn’t seem claustrophobic like Kara, but she’s talked about the Kazinian forest, and I wanted to get her outside if we could.”

Lena was surprised that Alex had made any mention of Kara with her. She also was surprised she’d been able to remain unaffected while Alex talked about the identical Kryptonians.

“It’s a reasonable risk to take,” she said to support Alex, “certainly less reckless than me moving her here without restraints.”

“Agreed.” Alex slapped a hand down lightly on the desk for emphasis that Lena was more reckless than she.

“So, you’re dealing with the mindwipe effects,” Lena said.

“Yes,” Alex answered, J’onn’s cautions on recovery always with her.

“Does that bother you?”

“I’m not angry at anyone about it,” Alex spoke carefully. “I can foresee frustration – I’ve already felt pretty impatient. But it was my decision.”

Lena stilled at the answer, contemplating Alex not having a full understanding of where certain things stood, a familiarity there.

Alex noticed Lena drawing inward at her answer. Aware of how disorienting this situation must be for her, she asked, “Do you want to talk about it? Maybe I have some insight from being in the position of not knowing or being told.”

Lena glanced over, detecting Alex’s sincerity, but she kept her guard up. “That was for different reasons,” she pointed out.

“It was,” Alex agreed, “and I understand if you don’t want to talk to me because I kept it from you, when I knew.”

Lena let out a low snort. “Holding that against you would be hypocritical after Sam’s situation. It wasn’t your secret to tell.”

“True,” Alex allowed. “It was Kara’s. It’s also true that Kara isn’t perfect. She can be so stubborn and sometimes self-centered, for starters. But she doesn’t do things to hurt people.”

“Are you remembering all of Kara now? Is that how you’re sure?” Sarcasm shot reflexively through Lena’s questions.

Alex remained composed, but let Lena know that was a low blow with the edge in her voice, “You don’t need to be like that about this. Or let your ego lead.”

Lena felt a touch of remorse at the admonishment even as the accusation riled her. “I don’t like being played as a fool or judged to be someone unworthy of trust by people I trusted. Is that ego?”

“That wasn’t her intent.”

“But that’s what happened. Look at the way I’m here among all of you who know, who’ve been told, and are bonded together in that knowledge.”

“You should ask Kara how many people she’s voluntarily told, because you might be surprised,” Alex retorted. “And no one’s ever considered you a fool. Is that your concern? Not controlling a narrative you’ve been taught to maintain from the time you were four.”

Tears tried to rush her eyes at Alex’s response and Lena had to blink them away. 

“Except I didn’t maintain it with Kara,” she pushed back, voice filled with bitter honesty, “and I loosened up with some of you because of her. I was intentional in the way I let Kara in. But the lie gave her access to more than I meant to share. She took things and mishandled them and dictated and I didn’t realize it. I don’t know if she realized either, which is concerning by itself. I know telling me was her choice to make. It doesn’t change that she chose not to let me into a major part of her life.”

“So, you feel betrayed,” Alex verbalized the crux of what she was hearing, “and you doubt the connection you two had.”

“Wouldn’t you? When you trusted in a relationship and then discovered its foundation has a massive fault through it, created by the other person?” Lena responded, jaw flexing.

“I can’t speak for Kara, but I can tell you one thing I know to be true,” Alex said, wanting to reassure Lena, to maintain whatever belief Lena still had in that relationship until she and Kara could talk further, “and that is Kara loves you. You are her closest friend. I don’t think I’ve seen her closer to anyone else who wasn’t family.” She stopped there.

Lena exhaled sharply, and turned herself away, working to get the words out without her voice wavering. “I believe you want to help, Alex. But I’ve said too much already. Just as it wasn’t your secret to tell, they aren’t your decisions to defend or explain. They’re Kara’s.

“They are,” Alex agreed. 

An opening door pulled their attention to it. Brainy and Linda strode in, Brainy greeting them, “Hello. We’re back from the refreshing morning air. Dreamer and Erika had to go but they both say hi.”

Lena collected herself, returning Brainy’s salutation. She found Linda beaming at her, happy even with cuffs on.

Lena’s mood couldn’t keep her from smiling back at the woman who was practically glowing from her time in the sun. But it also shook her to see that familiar face in such an unencumbered expression, one that had become less frequent from Kara. Often in the past year there had been something reticent or hesitant in Kara’s expressions. It gave Lena pause, reminding her of all that had cropped up between them. At the same time though, memories flowed of Kara, as both her personas, working with and supporting Lena regardless of distance or misunderstanding. Their relationship had become so complicated.

Brainy stepped into the chamber with Linda to remove the cuffs. Linda pinched the gaudy T shirt’s fabric. “Do you want this back?”

“Not now,” Brainy replied. “You can keep it until I find you one of your own, if you like it.”

Linda rolled her eyes at Alex and Lena from across the room but seemed agreeable with wearing it. “Thank you,” she told Brainy. “Could I learn more about Colu now?”

“Certainly,” Brainy responded.

Lena walked over with the untouched, second tumbler. “Coffee?” she asked.

“Yes, thank you, Lena,” Linda said as she took the data device that Brainy handed her. Lena placed the coffee on the closest surface when Brainy stepped back into the lab.

As they walked over to the desk, Lena asked him, “Have you read Alex’s notes?”

“Yes.”

Alex was back in the chair, feet pulled up on it. Lena sat on the cot and gestured for Brainy to sit next to her.

“I wanted to talk to you two about Linda’s coma,” Lena said.

“Any ideas about it?” Alex perked up at the possibility of an in-depth medical discussion.

“No, and that’s a concern,” Lena replied. “She seems healthy, but she was unconscious for weeks and only came out of it because of transfusion that included harun-el. And she doesn’t seem to know how that worked. I don’t think Lex did either.”

“Are you thinking she could be degrading, and we can’t detect it?” Alex heard the worry in her own voice.

“You mean a cloning-type issues?” Lena responded.

“Maybe. Could be something subtle and long-term, leading to catastrophic failure.”

“But she wasn’t cloned by a laboratory procedure,” Brainy stated. “And we don’t know how exactly harun-el works on Kryptonians.”

“You know,” Alex said, “the version of the serum James received isn’t providing powers, but Lex’s is. I wonder if the effect on Linda is specific to Lex’s version, because that would be a place to start. It was good luck on Lex’s part and awful luck on ours that you had a version that fit his needs so well at L Corp.”

Lena felt she had exposed so much already, but here was the last big secret, and she had a chance to come clean. She thought of the first night here, the conclusion that they needed to trust each other to be successful in stopping Lex. She decided to take the chance, disregarding her fear of the reaction. “I didn’t.”

“You didn’t what?” Brainy asked.

“Have a version at L Corp. Lex refined the serum to what he needed.”

“But Eve must have done it,” Alex corrected, “Lex didn’t have time before taking on Supergirl.”

“No.” Lena looked at Brainy first, then Alex, where her gaze remained. “Well yes, but not in the way you think.”

She took a deep breath and looked away before facing Alex again. “A few months ago, Lex contacted me. He was dying of cancer. He said he was frightened and wanted my help. I knew the harun-el had the potential to cure him. It took time, but I eventually agreed to help him.”

Alex’s eyes narrowed but otherwise her expression remained unchanged. Lena could see Brainy beside her, watching her intently.

“He was terminal when he was allowed out on a compassionate release. I joined him and his escort of federal marshals at the Luthor mansion to work with him on a cure. That was what James received. And, I realized later, why James got shot in the first place, to provide motivation and a preliminary test subject.

“Eve had access to the research. She worked with Lex to produce a serum with curative abilities and the powers he wanted without my knowledge at the mansion. Those are the files I had to recover so we could counteract what they’d formulated.”

“You worked with him,” Alex’s mouth was set tightly as she spoke.

“I was trying to save him,” Lena exclaimed, wanting understanding. “He’s my brother. I made a mistake and I think I always knew it was likely to be one, but I didn’t want him to die.” She shook her head, remembering that final day. “Federal marshals were all over that place to watch him. Eve and Otis turned the situation on its head. It doesn’t really change anything about how we approach our problem, but I thought you should know what happened.”

The room was quiet except for the hum from various power sources. Lena stared at her hands folded in front of her, waiting for the hammer to fall.

Alex was both perturbed at and sympathetic towards Lena. Lex was the most despicable type of person, skilled at perceiving people’s exploitable points and ruthlessly targeting them. He had definitely aimed at his younger sister’s compassion and love for him, an act that Alex abhorred as a decent person and an older sibling. Lena still loved her family. They were an absolute lethal mess. But while Alex could consider Lena’s feelings around her family to be unwise, she couldn’t fault her for them.

She met Brainy’s eyes and saw his agreement on this. Given what Alex knew of the Coluan’s history, empathy towards another with a sketchy family wouldn’t be surprising from him.

Alex rose from the chair and stepped to Lena. She placed a hand gently on Lena’s shoulder. “Lena,” she said, waiting for her to look up.

When Lena did, Alex went on, “You made a decision to help your dying brother. I know how many marshals were killed in his escape. Everyone underestimated Lex and how long he’d been scheming on this. That’s not something to hold against you.”

“Alex is right,” said Brainy.

Lena’s gaze fell again. She swallowed thickly. “Thank you. I needed to hear that. And to let the secret out.”

They gave her a minute to compose herself. Finally, she looked back to them.

“In your time with Lex then,” Brainy quietly asked, incorporating this new information into their quest for an answer, “did you ever think he was interested in the harun-el for anything or anyone but himself? Was there any hint of Linda?”

“No. Eve knew what harun-el can do,” Lena explained. “Lex probably figured that Linda was created by harun-el and thought it could stabilize her. But he was dying. His first priority was himself.” 

“We have to figure out why it helped her and if she’ll need it again,” said Alex.

A buzzing came from Alex’s phone lying on the desk, and she looked at Lena in confusion. “Is that allowed now?”

“I made some modifications to the communications system,” Lena replied.

“It’s Eliza,” Alex informed them as she picked it up.

“We’ll give you some privacy.” Lena motioned for Brainy to follow her.

\--

“I was looking over financial records earlier this morning and I think Lex is funding both sides,” Lena told Brainy, as they exited the stairwell. 

They reached the workstations they’d occupied yesterday, and Lena started opening files, hunched over the desk.

“He’s playing both sides to create chaos that he can impose order on,” Brainy inferred.

“Yes. He can swoop in and be the ultimate hero when things are at their worst, backed up by Children of Liberty and such groups. It’s how he can justify a pardon from the president and return to public life. After that, all alliances that no longer suit him will be off.”

She walked Brainy through the trails she’d been picking apart. Money was being funneled to the anti-alien movement in ways Brainy and Vasquez had found or suspected. But money was also being delivered to militant alien groups that had clashed with the anti-alien movement and occasionally had criminal ties. The DEO had known that these groups were suddenly better outfitted but didn’t know how and it was unlikely the group leaders knew or cared where exactly the money originated.

The twist for the money going to alien groups was it was set up to look like it was funneled through Kaznia. A public outing of this would portray Lex and the anti-alien movement as both battling the threat of aliens and saving the country from their insidious foreign employer. And Lex had woven a web so funds also touched reputable, peaceful alien organizations and non-profits. They would be discredited whenever Lex chose to suggest investigations were needed.

“With this and what he had Linda doing, he’d destroy aliens and any goodwill towards them, plus wipe out any influence that they have,” Brainy noted. 

“Yes, and if we can get sufficient information to expose this, we can undercut him along with Lockwood and his ilk. I haven’t found all of Lex’s sources. I’m having a thorough review of L Corp done, though I think our past and present subsidiaries are more likely the direct agents. In Kaznia, Linda saw Amertek logos, a company you’ve flagged. We need to root out all of the guilty parties.”

“I’ll contact Agent Vasquez and we’ll follow up,” Brainy said. He turned his attention from the screen to Lena. “With Lex being rabidly anti-alien, what do you think he was going to do with Linda when he didn’t need a Supergirl anymore?”

“I don’t know,” Lena said, shaken by the question because a part of her was sure it did know. She straightened up. “Let’s make sure he never has a chance to fulfill his plan for either of them.”

“I’m with you on that,” Brainy replied.

\--

“How much longer?” Kara asked, blinking herself awake and lifting her head off the seat rest. She looked down at Mikhail laying partially across her lap covered by a blanket.

“We can be there any time,” J’onn looked over his shoulder from the front seat of his shape-shifting ship. “I thought you could use the rest.”

“Oh,” she responded. “Thank you.”

It had been a full day. Kara had made appearances as Linda around the Kaznian base and Mikhail’s town without any issues. J’onn had found Mikhail and let him know where his friend would be, and Mikhail had shown up.

Supergirl had a lot of children run up to her with stars in their eyes. But the happiness of being seen as a friend by one – well, Mikhail had thrown himself at her with unfettered glee. He’d slid down her and prattled happily in Russian while she concentrated on following along.

When he’d paused, she’d motioned to him to sit with her, making herself as non-threatening as possible. She’d told him first that she wasn’t Linda but was related to her. Mikhail must have distinguished an accent because he immediately switched to English. She’d then explained that Linda was weakened by illness and would like to see him. Mikhail responded enthusiastically.

They’d talked about how long he could get away and what air-tight explanation he could give his mother. A reason why Mikhail and his mother had stayed under the radar was because no one was looking for them, and J’onn and Lena had stressed that this couldn’t draw attention to them.

Mikhail had successfully sold the story of a short visit to a friend to his mother and rendezvoused with them. J’onn had told him they’d drive to the airport and catch a flight before nudging the already tired boy into sleep.

Kara must have joined him after take-off.

She stretched her legs, yawning. “Sorry. I’m not a very good traveling companion.”

“You’re not navigating or riding shotgun. The bar is lower,” J’onn said, turning back to piloting.

“True. But I didn’t expect to pass out like that.”

“It’s been a trying time for you,” J’onn’s voice rumbled back to her. “Not just the fighting but your place as a hero constantly being attacked and the biggest, most resourceful anti-alien criminal running loose trying to kill people and cause strife – it’s exhausting.”

“Point taken,” Kara replied. “I choose this planet, but these days it sometimes feels like it doesn’t choose me.”

“Understood,” J’onn said. He looked at her in the rearview mirror that was a constant in this vehicle. “I gain strength from being able to see and even visit my homeworld, even though I’ve had to move beyond it. You don’t have that, and it’s not easy to replace the experience. Place can be so grounding when people, including oneself, get difficult.”

Kara felt the familiar pang when thinking about Krypton. She thought about navigating hatemongers and her cousin’s arch-nemesis, a sister who had a quite journey ahead of her to fully recognize her life again, and a best friend who might disappear after this because Kara badly mucked up how she handled her identity. “Yeah, people are not easy right now.”

“But there’s good out there,” J’onn uttered encouragement. “And in the people working with you, each in their own way standing with you against Lex and what he’s trying to cultivate with this all-consuming, hate-filled crusade. We won’t let him succeed. We’ll prevail. Try to focus on that.”

Kara looked up to notice the ground growing closer. “I’ll try,” she murmured.

\--

J’onn and Kara arrived in the late evening. With Mikhail out cold, little could be done beyond the team filling each other in on the time apart.

The next morning, Kara Danvers escorted Mikhail in to see Linda at Alex’s cue, telling Linda they had new information out of Kaznia. She’d change back to Supergirl shortly, but Kara wanted this gesture coming from Kara without the cape.

The reunion was an emotional one. Mikhail made a beeline for Linda and, with a shout, she engulfed him in a hug, tears springing to her eyes. At Linda’s first incredulous question, Mikhail told the story of how he survived. 

When he reached the part about his home’s destruction and Otis’ role, Otis was brought in and seemed self-satisfied when detailing how Lex had ordered the missile strike. The two friends kept talking after Otis departed to be whisked off to another location by J’onn. Though viewing their interactions didn’t address every concern about Linda’s loyalty, Kara was convinced of the authenticity in the spontaneity and depth of feeling between them. 

The time change eventually hit Mikhail and Brainy took him to rest. Linda’s spirits sank at his departure. Kara was about to ask what was wrong when Lena stepped into Linda’s space. It took one question for Linda’s anguish to pour out with Lex’s complete manipulation in this event laid clear.

“Lex is warped,” Lena spoke softly but firmly to Linda in response to her outpouring of offences and her regret for them, “and what he touches he damages. He’s manipulated many, often with less leverage than what he used against you. You, with no one and no memory, were kind. You befriended Mikhail and watched out for him. You should remember that. Lex used that against you and made that love a point of hurt. But now you could turn it into a positive inflection point, moving forward, atoning from it. Mikhail’s here for a short time, but you can keep in touch. He doesn’t know anything about what you’ve done. He’s just your friend.”

Kara felt an ache at Linda’s devastated expression when she’d talked about her mistakes. Watching as Linda drew comfort and conviction from Lena’s hopeful speech provided a balm. 

Linda gradually regained her composure to the point where Lena let go of the hands she’d been holding and asked if she needed anything.

“A little time,” Linda replied. At Lena’s nod back, Kara headed upstairs. 

When Lena arrived in the living quarters shortly after her, Kara was jarred at the realization this was the first time they’d been in the same room together in these guises since that first morning. Lena’s words from that encounter rang through her memory.

“I can change,” Kara said, moving towards the door.

Lena hadn’t been paying attention to what she was likely walking into, her mind still going over how to best help Linda with the residue of destruction, death, and guilt left behind by Lex. The moment she saw Kara, those thoughts were dropped in a jolt of panic that delayed her comprehending Kara’s statement. When she caught on though, she moved to block Kara from exiting.

Over the past day, Lena had spent a fair amount of time mulling over Alex’s declaration that Kara loved her and hadn’t meant to hurt her. She wanted to work from that with Kara. She wouldn’t forget what had happened between them – that wouldn’t be possible or healthy for her – but for now she could try to work through, rather than bury, her feelings about what she’d decided could actually be a betrayal borne of elements of care and affection. She’d work on herself and see where her relationship with Kara landed. Them being together presented an opportunity to deal with some of the animosity between them, to take a restorative step.

“Please don’t. It’s fine,” she said as Kara stopped short.

Kara peered at her, surprised by this reversal of Lena’s denunciation of Kara Danver’s presence. “Really?”

“Yes.” Lena inhaled deeply and let the words out in a rush, “I didn’t have the right to demand what I did. It was all too much in that moment and I wasn’t thinking clearly. You be who you need to be. Everyone else gets to.”

“Alright,” Kara said, some tension departing with the change. 

She took advantage of the small shift and attempted to offer praise for what Lena had just done. “You were so compassionate with Linda. What you said was what she needed to hear.”

“I can empathize. I’m familiar with what it’s like to be manipulated by Lex.” Lena gave a self-deprecating chuckle. “I’m sure you’ve heard.”

Kara nodded and chose her words to make it clear she didn’t judge and to acknowledge what she felt was her role in how things had played out. “I heard about you trying to help a family member in a desperate situation. I just regret that you didn’t feel you could share what was happening with me, just like with your work on adapting the harun-el. Looking back, I can see how my keeping secrets could’ve contributed to you feeling unsure and isolated.”

“We both kept secrets, and we both had our reasons,” Lena replied. She could admit that, but she also knew there was a link of some of those decisions to where they’d ended up. “But in certain matters, I did it without fully understanding the reason. I couldn’t figure out why there was distance between us, and that distance did influence certain decisions. And now that I know, I do feel betrayed, I feel that what happened wasn’t fair.

“I know,” Kara answered, hushed. “Again, I’m sorry.”

Super hearing had her backing up a step and looking towards whoever was coming from a back room. Lena noticed her distraction and also stepped away.

Brainy walked in, the concentration on his face shifting to satisfaction at the sight of Kara. Noticing Lena, his brow furrowed as if aware he was interrupting something.

Lena cut through the awkwardness with a friendly “Hello, Brainy.”

“Hello,” he replied. “I was looking for Kara.”

“You’ve found me,” Kara said, raising her eyebrows. “What can I do for you?”

“I was hoping you’d provide backup when I oversee a little outdoor excursion for Linda and Mikhail. I think it would do both of them good, and it would give you a chance to observe.”

Lena’s belief that this time with Mikhail could help to put Linda on a new path, away from Lex, was known to all. Brainy hadn’t openly stated his opinion but, from what Kara had seen and heard of his work with Linda, he seemed to agree with Lena.

Kara thought about what she’d seen between Linda and Mikhail and between Linda and Lena; the opening for a new direction was there. If she could provide a push in that direction and could assess how successful it was, she’d be better positioned when her friends inevitably asked for her insights. To effectively do that, she needed to associate with her Kaznian double. 

“I think that Linda could use some time with you and vice versa,” Lena said, backing up Brainy as Kara considered the request and its implications.

Two of the smartest people on the planet were in agreement with each other, and, she realized, with Kara as well. “I’ll do it,” Kara answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the show never went back to Marcus the Phorian from S3, but for this I think James stayed in touch and Lena may have met them through him or through Kara’s Aliens of NC series.
> 
> Again, sticking mostly to canon through 416, a couple of things from 417. In this, only people provided with a version of the serum Eve modified got powers => no powered James or AoL, who were in later episodes of S4.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taking down Lex.
> 
> (Spoiler Alert – no one gets absorbed)

Kara looked back over the past three days and, for a brief moment, enjoyed the fact that their probability of prevailing had increased substantially. Each of them had been operating at a breakneck pace, and juggling emotional loads as well, and the means to take on Lex’s campaign in a multi-pronged manner was so close.

Kara’s insight into Linda had improved after seeing her with Mikhail and their outing had morphed into her accompanying Linda outside each day. Her and Linda’s wariness towards each other had lessened with the time shared and talk of their pasts. They seemed to have silently agreed to avoid talk of the future, given the uncertainty of it for a Kryptonian who’d gone on a rampage.

They’d also had a needed blow up when Kara had angrily torn into Linda over killing humans. Linda hadn’t defended her choices, but instead had spoken of the disastrous errors in judgment she saw and wanted to make amends for, asking for the chance to do so. Kara knew her tendency to give second chances and she could feel herself moving towards giving Linda one. Shortly after that, she and J’onn had agreed that Linda could roam in the open without power dampening with J’onn serving as unseen backup.

Her time with Lena had been brief with everything moving so fast and exhaustion building among the group. She and Lena had talked almost exclusively about the serum and concerns about Linda and the harun-el. In those fleeting moments of talking shop Kara took comfort in them collaborating again.

Alex, Brainy and Vasquez achieved their first major success, using information from Linda and Otis along with DEO resources to track Lex. J’onn and Kara had surveyed several sites, following the clues until finally they had confirmation of their target’s actual physical location. His presence in National City was likely tied to upcoming protest meetings by a number of high-profile alien rights groups, a tempting opportunity for violence. Upon discovery, Kara wanted to barrel in but J’onn wisely insured that they stuck to the plan.

Because they’d achieved a second goal by the time they found him, successfully mapping out Lex’s financial trails in enough detail to hand off to authorities and to spread through the media with CatCo’s help when they brought him down. The information would allow dissolution of his network. 

And finally the team working on the serum reversal to strip Lex of superpowers was very close on the last piece needed. It was all coming together.

\--

Lena swiveled her head both ways to crack her neck, reaching under her ponytail to massage just above the dark green high-neck sweater. She rotated her shoulders backwards then forwards to loosen up after staring at equipment readouts and computer screens for two hours. She was waiting for one last computation and then they’d have the final formulation needed.

The past days had been a rush with much of Lena’s time spent with Brainy when he wasn’t at the DEO and with Linda to ensure she was holding steady in the aftermath of the complete dismantling of Lex as someone who had cared about her. Lena knew the damage her brother could do; just when you thought he could no longer impact you, something else popped up that he’d buried in you without your knowledge. She wanted to be present for Linda while such unpredictable repercussions lurked. When she wasn’t pouring over projects and people that were part of the great anti-alien and Lex takedown, L Corp’s demands filled her time.

The others had also pitched in on keeping Linda company. Alex and Brainy in particular tried to eat meals with her and, in the last 24 hours, Linda had been free to roam the lab floor with precautions in place, such as locked devices and certain people at the facility. A different equilibrium was forming around the Kaznian.

Lena and Kara had conversed briefly in the limited times they saw each other, primarily getting updates and suggestions concerning how the other’s work was going and relaying gentle reminders to take care of oneself. Communications had remained positive since Lena rescinded her ban on Kara Danvers.

A couple of times something closer to the relationship they’d built materialized in non-verbal exchanges: Lena bringing back an overindulgent number of potstickers from Chun’s after visiting L Corp and leaving them in the refrigerator with Kara’s name on them and Kara leaving a single plumeria at the workstation Lena used regularly. They were bittersweet reminders because hurt still lurked under the surface between them, and because the uncertainty around what shape their relationship would take when this was over was felt keenly by both.

It didn’t take flowers for Lena to know she still had intense feelings for Kara, and if she needed a reminder her heart skipping at the sight of that single plumeria would have done it. But she’d been able to compartmentalize like the pro she was, keeping the times her thoughts strayed to Kara to a minimum while she concentrated on incubators, enzyme kits, chromatography, and centrifuges.

When molecular structures finally appeared on her screen, she couldn’t stop grinning as she buzzed Brainy through the intercom. The last days had been brutal in terms of failures and sleep deprivation but sitting before her was the tool to take Lex’s powers away. “We did it,” she yelled at him.

The sounds of the stairwell door pushing open and pounding feet preceded Brainy. He slid to a halt across the table from her in his DEO uniform and threw both hands in the air with a shout of “Yes” that almost made Lena cry.

His exuberance picked up a tinge of concern, the confrontation to come no longer a hypothetical. “Are you ready for this?”

Lena considered the question. She’d dedicated herself to this quest to stop her brother, disregarding how it rubbed her raw. She could disregard for a little longer. “Absolutely.”

\--

A spirited debate followed Lena’s explanation of the counteragent. They now had the final piece to face Lex, but it needed to be injected. How would they do that?

Lena shared a glance with Brainy. She hadn’t given up on Linda as a piece in the game if Linda was willing; what they had all experienced in terms of Linda’s loyalty and bonding over the past few days only made Lena more certain they could consider that strategy. She and Brainy had discussed it repeatedly, unfurling scenarios, and Brainy agreed with her.

They needed Linda to agree, but they also needed everyone’s buy-in on the risky venture. This may not be a one-time-only chance to neutralize Lex, but any attempt encompassed the weighty consequences of failure.

Kara finished up her offer to take the counteragent directly to Lex with sufficient diversions employed, eager to have had Lex out of commission months ago.

The pause that followed gave Lena a chance to introduce her idea. “What if we included Linda?”

Alex, Kara, and J’onn swiveled towards her with varying degrees of surprise on their faces.

Kara, caught completely off-guard at the suggestion, worked to get her head around it.

Alex, on the other hand, realized that Lena had been thinking about this option almost from the start, and Alex’s own idea had fed into it. “Because he doesn’t know where she’s been,’ she stated.

“Yes,” Lena replied. “Kara’s been seen in Kaznia a couple of times now. I’m sure that’s gotten back to him.”

“You think Lex may let his guard down with her?” J’onn asked.

“It’s possible he will,” Brainy chimed in. “If she’s fully powered, she just needs a small window.”

“I could do it,” Kara said, a little surprised at the interest in this suggestion. “We don’t need to involve her.”

“He’s going to have kryptonite and he has a Lexosuit,” Lena argued. “Brute force and speed aren’t going to do it. We need duplicity to gain that vital sliver of an advantage.”

Alex looked between the two of them, judging tactics. “Running a con in this situation may be our best bet for success, with success including minimizing injuries.”

“Especially if we use a con that appeals to Lex’s ego,” Lena added. “The idea that Linda couldn’t help but come back to him would be hard for him to resist. He’s underestimated her from the start. He’s likely to do it again.”

“We need all of the help we can get here,” J’onn said, “and if Linda’s willing to cooperate, I think it’s a viable option. I could back her up.”

Kara wasn’t sure they should be at this level of trust with Linda yet, but she also could acknowledge how Linda’s allegiance had shifted with the feedback she’d received while with them. Lena had led the charge on that, spending a lot of time with her. Lena was also the resident Lex expert. 

“If we go with a plan involving Linda,” Kara said, “I volunteer to back her up.”

Lena looked over at her, questions clear on her face. She knew that Kara and Linda had made progress with the reality of each other, but she hadn’t expected Kara to capitulate so easily.

Kara shrugged at her. “Your ideas are usually good ones,” she explained. “Let’s ask Linda.”

\--

Linda jumped at the possibility to help, offering to when Brainy was still outlining the situation. After he finished, she suggested a startling alternative, showing how quickly she’d assessed the plan.

“What if I prove my loyalty by bringing him something?” Linda asked. “Something that further explains my time away and reflects my willingness to make my absence up to him.”

“That could be a good strategy,” J’onn answered as Alex nodded along. “What are you thinking?”

“If Kara is willing to serve as backup, why not just take her in with me?”

Lena’s head came up from where she’d been staring at the floor and she beat Kara and Alex to the question, “How would that work? She’d be a threat.”

“Not if she’s depowered.”

“How would you convince Lex I was depowered?” Kara jumped on the suggestion. “I’m not blowing my powers out.” Even as she said it, she realized the answer.

“With kryptonite,” Linda said. ‘Enough to convince him you’re not a threat but a small enough amount that you can quickly recover from the exposure.”

“That would affect you too,” Alex pointed out, uneasy with the substance being in proximity to both Lex Luthor and Supergirl.

“You have a suit I could borrow,” Linda said, glancing at Kara, at Lena, then back to the group. “Simple story - I stole it and then used it with kryptonite to subdue Supergirl. And Supergirl at his mercy will distract him in a way I alone can’t. If we both carry applicators with the counteragent, we improve our chances.”

Alex shook her head, noticing Lena looking uncertain next her. Linda had done a convincing job in hijacking Lena’s idea, leaving Lena running through unexpected alternatives.

J’onn cleared his throat to speak but Kara jumped in. She wanted to take action, and every option was going to carry risk. Linda, Alex, and Lena were right – Lex’s arrogance was a weakness, but he still wasn’t going to be easily deceived. She’d trust Linda and her team on this along with her own instincts.

“We can’t miss this opportunity when we know Lex’s location,” Kara declared. “We can get him. I’m in.”

\--

They’d fashioned a plan over dinner and given a vague heads-up to partners who would help implement their multi-pronged attack. Alex and Brainy had departed for the DEO to strategize with Vasquez. J’onn and Kara were scheduled to meet with James about breaking the news on Lex’s fiendish plan as soon as J’onn returned from walking with Linda back to the lab. 

Linda had addressed the awkwardness of her status directly at dinner, making it clear she was aware of existing conditions. “I’ll go back to the containment chamber. I know you’d feel better when it’s just Lena here.”

Linda had continued over the beginning of Lena’s protest, “Except for Lena.” She’d shot a smile Lena’s way, no hurt feelings apparent.

As J’onn and Linda walked out, Lena turned from the island to find Kara slouched in a chair with one jean-clad leg dangling over an arm, absent-mindedly picking at a cream-colored cuff, her thoughts obviously elsewhere.

She felt drawn to join her and walked over slowly so as not to startle her, though that likely wasn’t even possible. “Hey,” she said, voice low.

Kara blinked rapidly as she looked over. “Oh, hey,” she said before returning her attention to an unknown point.

“You’re far away.”

“Just thinking.”

Lena took a seat in the chair opposite her, resting on her arms as she leant towards Kara.

“Are you okay with this?”

“Yeah,” Kara said nodding vigorously, her gaze unwavering “I am. I’m just,” she tapped a finger against her temple, “going over things. This has to happen. I’ll pay the price needed to put Lex away and end this. It’s what I do.” 

“Always doing the right thing.” The comment had a sharp edge that Lena hadn’t expected, but as she heard it, she found she didn’t want to take back the reaction. She was tired, it was true, but more than that Kara’s assertion had hit a sore spot. The détente between them had been bound to break at some point.

Kara bristled, adjusting in the chair so both feet were on the ground. She hesitated at her mood, advising herself to stay calm. “I try,” she said tersely, tamping down frustration at the dig. “And maybe, sometimes, I make a mess of things.”

Lena gave a humorless laugh. “Three years of sometimes. And why,” Lena found herself unexpectedly pushing, voice steely, “why did you do this the way you did and put us here? And do you even understand where here is? Can you tell me?” 

Kara flexed her hands and prepared to put it out there, what she’d thought through and discovered, occasionally with distress, since she’d learned of Lena rescuing Linda. 

“My decision about keeping my identity secret was because I thought it was the best way to protect you,” Kara repeated from their first confrontation. “It’s the truth and I don’t regret that. I regret what I allowed to happen to our relationship by making those decisions and not considering the whole picture. 

“I committed to physically protecting you and closed my eyes to what eventually started to happen. I was in the position to do so and, yes, there were times when it served me, it made things easier. I ignored or misinterpreted what was causing strain between us. When I did that, I didn’t protect you from my decisions that were undermining you, undermining us. You are worth so much to me, and I was careless. Please believe that I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I don’t think that was your intention,” Lena said, a bit of vulnerability sliding into her voice, a first with Kara since she’d learned the truth, “but you did hurt me, more than you probably know. You betrayed my trust, something I learned long ago not to give lightly.”

Kara faltered at Lena’s words and what her voice carried as she said them. So much contained in Lena’s response, but Kara needed to work through the steps of fixing this first. “I was careless but also afraid,” she said. “I know I clung too tightly to what I had, to my normal, even when I shouldn’t have because it had turned into something that damaged someone I cared about.”

“Living in fear isn’t a good choice,” Lena said even as her mind juxtaposed Kara’s words on fear with images of Kara and Supergirl in their more heroic moments. It seemed somehow contradictory and yet not, like so much that swirled around who Kara was.

“A very smart person told me you can’t live in fear,” Kara answered, “and this is where fear got me. I’m hoping I can learn from what I did and make up for it. And I’m hoping that person won’t give up on us,” she entreated, hoping her voice didn’t sound as desperate as she felt.

Lena raised her eyebrows at the appeal coming on the heels of Kara’s confession of her failings. But Lena knew how invested she was in this relationship, and she found she had to give it serious consideration, the type that wouldn’t come to conclusions quickly. “I can’t tell you what I’m going to do,” she said, looking away.

A silence fell between them.

“I have to go,” Kara broke it when she noticed the time. “Thank you, for talking.”

She couldn’t stop herself from slowing as she passed Lena’s chair, but she didn’t reach out. They could both use some time, but she wanted to check in on the mission they were about to undertake, a mission that was possibly most personal to Lena.

“Are you alright with tomorrow?” Kara echoed Lena’s earlier question.

Lena didn’t look up, but she nodded in response. “I am. I think we have a really good chance.”

Kara breathed out a soft, “Good,” and continued on. She pulled the door closed and slumped against it, allowing herself a pause to take a steadying breath before going to find J’onn.

Lena’s sigh came from deep within as Kara exited. She’d just stopped herself from taking Kara’s hand when she was close. She was glad they had opened up a bit more on the conflict between them even as she realized no single conversation would solve things, and each of these conversations was going to pull at her long after it was over.

\--

Alex and Linda were finishing up medical checks as the others filtered in the next morning. When everyone had gotten back the night before, Lena had removed the last of the kryptonite from Linda’s chamber and added simulated sunlight that didn’t equal the DEO’s but would do the trick. Results were showing Linda with no lingering effects of kryptonite.

The two of them had talked during the scans, Alex reiterating to Linda that she didn’t know what would happen after this but committing to help Linda with what was to come. From her time with Linda she was as certain as she could be that Linda viewed Lex as someone who would harm her if he remained at large, and she was therefore invested in stopping him. If Alex hadn’t been sure of this, she’d have never let this plan proceed.

As Alex plugged in the final numbers, she noticed the distance that Kara and Lena seemed to be maintaining as Linda joined the group. She knew the two still had so much between them that needed to be addressed. Their past friendship and the persistent, underlying feelings they had for each other formed a strong connection that suggested they had a chance to work things out. On the other hand, each had legitimate concerns and an impressive capacity for stubbornness.

Kara broke away from the group and wandered over. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Alex returned with a smile. “How are you this morning?”

“Good,” Kara said lowly. She scrunched her nose and eyes in thought. “Nervous. And I feel like we haven’t talked in a long time.”

“What can I say,” Alex teased, raising her hands in the air, “I’m swamped.”

Kara gave her the courtesy of a brief chuckle. “You are” she agreed, letting her smile slip into something solemn. “How are you doing?”

“I’m worried about you, but what else is new?” Alex answered, miming a soft punch towards Kara’s shoulder that was across a desk from her. 

Kara folded her arms and stared over at her.

“No light-hearted deflection?” Alex asked, tilting her head to the side before straightening again when Kara’s expression didn’t budge. “I’m as good as I can be. The mission’s had me strongly focused on the present, so not much need for compromised memories. While chasing down Lex has been exasperating, I’ve been productive. I think I’m going to take Mom up on her offer to spend some time in Midvale after this is over, though, to see if she can help me speed up some of the recall, because it’s not always going to be this simple.”

“That’s great, Alex,” Kara stressed. She’d heard about the invitation but not the ulterior motive, probably because Alex had wanted to think it over on her own.

“Yep, we just have to get through the next 24 hours and put our villain in prison.”

Kara reached over and gripped Alex’s hand. “We’re going to.”

Alex squeezed back. “Yes, we are.”

Kara let go and turned back to the rest of the team, who were still gathered and talking. She felt a coolness coil inside her when she noticed Lena and Linda having a spirited, friendly exchange. When Lena turned to J’onn for his input, an adoring look passed over Linda’s face.

“What are you thinking?” Alex’s voice chimed behind her, causing her to flush as she realized Alex must have recognized the change in her attention and mood. She wanted to shrug it off but her desire to get Alex’s opinion was greater.

“Have you noticed the way Linda looks at Lena? Do you think it’s weird?”

“The way she’s dedicated to her?” Alex chose the words carefully. She recognized what had caused Kara to pause and struggle, but she saw no reason to pressure her on it at this particular moment.

It wasn’t exactly what Kara was getting at, but she could work with Alex’s interpretation. “Yeah,” she answered.

“Lena rescued her from an awful situation,” Alex said. “And Lex talked Lena up, even while he said she was disappointing.” Alex noticed Kara’s little huff of disagreement at that and just avoided rolling her eyes. “They’ve spent some time together. Maybe there’s some hero worship there.”

“Is that what you’d call it?” Kara couldn’t avoid annoyance creeping into her tone.

With that, Alex couldn’t hold back the eye roll. “I don’t know, Kara, what would you call it? You’ve looked at Lena like that.”

Kara grimaced at the truth of the statement. She had thought of Lena as a hero many times and she’d consistently wanted others to see her that way, too. She was aware of how ridiculous jealousy towards pretty much herself was, but, looking at them again, she suddenly realized why it existed. There was a simplicity, a candor to the way Lena and Linda were interacting that Kara longed to have back between herself and Lena. She wanted to openly look at Lena like she adored her again. She wanted to look at her with even more feeling if that would ever be possible.

Alex watched a mix of love, sadness, and regret wash across Kara’s face.

“I know you’re focused on working out the secret identity fallout, but maybe you should say something to her, sometime,” Alex suggested, gently sympathetic.

Kara looked over to her, lips in a thin line. “Maybe, when we’re done with what we have to do.”

\--

The buildup to launching the attack was frenetic as they scouted the dilapidated industrial warehouse not far from the port and made final adjustments.

J’onn, Brainy, and Dreamer would set a primary perimeter as soon as Linda and Kara were inside. A team of agents loyal to Alex and J’onn were deployed to assist in secondary positions, teamed up with a few alien allies. Alex and Lena were at a secondary position, tracking and spying with Lena’s suit worn by Linda. The release of information to the media on Lex’s criminal deeds and others’ culpability was teed up, with CatCo being one of the major outlets receiving it. They were ready.

Kara just kept herself from an “Oof” as Linda landed hard across the room from Lex, who already had the Lexosuit deployed, blasting gloves up. He was alone in the almost completely bare space, his underlings appropriately on floors below him. Behind him stood a workstation and a table with suit tech on it but otherwise only load-bearing walls broke up the space. Kara could see through slitted eyes that Lex’s helmet remained down and that he recognized Linda through her clear visor.

Linda offloaded Kara to the ground like distasteful cargo. Kara remained on the concrete, feigning unconsciousness for a few seconds more. She could hear Linda set the lead-lined box just out of reach and kick it open. Kryptonite was always a painful, weakening experience and this time was no different. Kara concentrated on managing the discomfort.

“I’ve come back to re-join you, Alex,” Linda said.

Kara moaned, acting her way to awareness. She rolled over, scanned Linda and Lex, and pushed herself to her knees, looking at Lex. The green poison traced painfully through her skin.

Lex’s eyes were narrowed and directed at her before he turned his attention to Linda. “Back from running away, from your little jaunt back home,” he stated harshly. “Why should I take you back?”

Kara winced as the toe of Linda’s boot hit her side. “I brought you a gift,” her clone replied. “I thought you’d be pleased.”

“What if I don’t want a gift? What if I wanted you to remain here?” Lex’s rhetoric didn’t mask the fact he did sound pleased.

“She’s under kryptonite,” Linda said, sensing her advantage in Lex’s voice. “She’s yours to do with what you’d like. And I came back to work beside you. I can still replace her in the eyes of these people that you want to free.”

A scheming smile spread across Lex’s face as he looked over Kara. Kara was certain this was about to get unpleasant for her. They needed to sell this to him. He was remaining at a distance, weapons still ready. Remember the goal, she told herself.

His focus switched swiftly to Linda. “Interesting you aren’t affected.”

“I stole your sister’s technology.” Linda’s hand swept up and down the suit. “Consider it another gift for you. It has fairly effective kryptonite filters which allowed me to capture Kara Danvers.”

“So, you don’t think you’re Kara Danvers anymore?” Lex mocked.

Linda reacted by hauling Kara up and throwing her against a wall. Kara saw black for a second and felt a wetness at the back of her head where it had made hard contact. She didn’t have time to focus on it as Linda slammed into her and proceeded to hit her in the torso, yelling at her, “Are you super now?” There was anger in Linda’s voice, and it was frightening because Kara recognized it as her own anger, and she knew where it could lead. 

Kara’s eyes squeezed shut in pain as she tried to block and curl away from the blows. She heard a rib crack and couldn’t stop the cry that came from her. Linda halted abruptly and grabbed her to throw her towards Lex. She sprawled on the floor.

“That is Kara Danvers. Why would I want to be that?” Linda’s charged expression softened. “I can be whoever you need me to be. I was mistaken when I left. Let me come back, please.”

The disdain for Kara and the switch to utter devotion for Lex in Linda’s voice hit Kara harder than Linda’s attacks had. The possibility that they had trusted too quickly screamed through her mind. She wanted to search out Linda, to find the truth, but if Linda was playing, she couldn’t compromise her by giving Lex such a tell.

Lena and Alex had both visibly flinched during Kara’s treatment, even though Kara had warned them that sort of display could be warranted. But at Linda’s pledge, Lena sucked in a breath and glanced at Alex, the question obvious.

Alex mirrored Lena’s worry. “J’onn could probably get Kara out of there, though Linda would know he’s coming. And we’d lose the rest,” she said through gritted teeth as her hand hovered over the communications switch.

“Let’s give her a little more time then,” Lena said tightly. “She knows how arrogant Lex is about his powers of persuasion and control. She knows how to appeal to him. And she needs to get closer.” 

Alex gave a short nod. Each was tensed to take off for the site herself at one more indication that they were disastrously wrong in their assessment.

“You should take a turn. It’s rewarding, beating someone so full of herself and so corrupt,” Linda suggested to Lex. 

Kara got herself to a seated position, one hand tight around her ribs. Her breath rasped and her head hung. She looked up through her lashes to Linda, who wasn’t looking at her but rather at Lex. She’d drawn closer, not quite even with Kara. She held the kryptonite, which explained the exponential increase in Kara’s pain.

Kara wasn’t exactly sure where Linda was going with this any longer, but she knew she couldn’t instigate an attack on Lex and attempt to disperse her counteragent with the kryptonite so close. She started a mental rundown of options for either backing Linda up or trying to get out of here depending on which way this broke.

“Try burning her with it,” Linda continued, taking another step, then waiting. “The rock is more punishing than your blasters.”

Lex’s face had become increasingly taken over with a maniacal glee as Linda talked. He glanced to Kara, and even having seen people with an enjoyment for murder in their eyes before, Kara went cold at the sight. She allowed a touch of panic to show to tempt him more. Whether it was real or acted she wasn’t sure. While Lex might not know it, they were approaching a tipping point.

“That does sound like fun,” Lex agreed, stretching out a hand.

Linda took another step but stopped when Lex’s palm went up. “You can hand it to me from there.”

Linda stretched out her hand and Kara saw it, the flick on a part of the kryptonite not visible to Lex that freed a small syringe to fall into Linda’s hand.

In her debilitated state Kara could barely follow the motion as Linda struck for the exposed area of the neck, but Lex hadn’t let his guard down enough. A powered stream poured from his gauntlet as it blocked and held Linda at a standstill, attempting to overcome her suit’s protection.

Linda’s response was just as fast. Her other hand landed on the gauntlet and an explosion of purple electricity discharged through the machinery, overloading it enough to loosen before Lex’s other hand could land. The syringe struck, delivering its contents into Lex’s neck.

Lex’s eyes widened as black lines sped across his face and neck. He screamed his rage and pain as he lost his powers. Linda followed him to the ground when he crumpled and convulsed a few times. She sent a burst of electricity through his suit, powering it down and back into the dark brown business suit he wore. When Lex stopped twitching, Linda placed cuffs they’d brought on him as he wheezed through the aftereffects.

Kara had pushed herself to a wall when she’d seen the syringe fall into Linda’s hand, using its support to get upright while she watched the fight. Her progress had been slow, and she was sucking in shallow breaths. She heard Linda curse at Lex in Russian, followed by English, “Kara Danvers is so much more than you. I’m so much more than you.”

“You won’t be when they lock you away,” Lex’s malicious voice choked out.

“They won’t do that.”

A harsh laugh broke from him. “Don’t expect me to rescue you when they do.”

Lex had gotten himself to a sitting position while talking. Linda gave him a rough knock back to the floor.

“I won’t need you to.”

With that Linda rose and looked to Kara. She returned the kryptonite to its shielded container before hurrying to Kara. Kara halted Linda’s reach for the sun grenade in her suit with a shake of her head.

“Let’s not show him anything we don’t need to,” Kara demurred, noticing Lex was now staring daggers at them. “I can get under the lamps later. Help’s on the way.”

Her words just preceded J’onn crashing in with Alex as the noise of sporadic fighting reached them from the level below.

Alex headed for Kara as J’onn called to her from beside Lex. Kara waved her sister off with, “I’ll be fine. Help J’onn.” 

She surmised she looked frightful with scrapes and cuts and bruises from being tossed around and blood mixed into her blonde hair. She continued to lean against the wall with closed eyes and cautious breathing while she waited for her body to slowly repair itself. 

While Alex and J’onn secured Lex and the kryptonite, the sounds of weapons being fired and raised voices lessened and finally stopped. The trained agents and aliens had made quick work of the anti-alien contingent.

Lex was standing when Lena entered the room in all black gear. If severe loathing mixed with a modicum of complicated pride could be captured in a look, it would be the one Lex shot his sister. Lena responded with icy disregard, glancing over him and away.

Worry dominated Lena’s expression as she turned to Linda and Kara. Kara thought she might actually break into a run to them. But her brother being led away by Alex and J’onn prompted conflicting obligations, her eyes bouncing from Kara to the departing party.

“I’ll take care of her,” Kara heard Linda saying, “if you need to go.”

Linda’s assurance forced a decision. Lena looked into Kara’s eyes. “I’ll see you soon,” she said before turning to follow Lex and his escort, her phone going to her ear.

“I will take care of you,” Linda reiterated, adjusting her place at Kara’s side so she could support her without knocking against the healing ribs. “And I’m sorry about pummeling you. I started to lose control there. I didn’t mean to hit you that hard or scream in your face so vigorously. Even if it helped with Lex, that shouldn’t have happened.”

“I’ve heard that anger, but coming out of me,” Kara responded. She placed a hand on Linda’s shoulder, moving gingerly. “You pulled back, which is what you have to do. We’ll work on it.”

Kara lowered her hand and gave a little laugh. “And you definitely sold it.”

They started walking out, Linda with her arm around Kara.

“How did you do that with the purple electricity?” Kara asked, curiosity coming to the fore as the sick feeling lessened.

“Kaznian exceptionalism,” Linda responded with a quirk of the lips. “We’ll talk about it later.”

“The story is out there,” Brainy reported, running up to them. “The dominoes are falling.”

“It’s going to be a long road with a lot dominoes,” Kara answered. “But at least we’re going the right way.”


	8. Chapter 8

Spending the day with lawyers in nondescript conference rooms had never been a favorite activity for Lena and spending it with government lawyers was even lower on her list. But here they were, her lawyers and theirs, pushing into mid-afternoon with negotiations on conditions of custody. She was on her fifth cup of coffee thanks to events of the day before not wrapping up until well into today and was grateful for the air conditioning that was set low enough to keep her from feeling warm and drowsy in a black suit and grey dress shirt with her hair down. Her mind was only half on the droning monologue occurring, and that was honestly an over-allocation of bandwidth.

Lex was now incarcerated at the most exclusive maximum-security prison. It housed a number of dangerous, connected aliens who were familiar with Lex’s policy positions and should be a deterrent to the corrupt practices that had facilitated his recent escapades. It was also rigorously scrutinized by more than one outside agency. Any staff with their own best interests in mind wouldn’t want to upset the facility’s delicate balance.

The exposed interweaving of financial ties by CatCo and others had led to raids of the physical and cyber variety with assets being seized and accounts being frozen. The Kaznian government was pleading innocent to everything and seemed ready to sacrifice a few high-level military officials who would look as if they had acted alone when working with Lex. Lena suspected those admirals and generals hadn’t known about the full plan for Kaznia to take the fall, but she felt no sympathy for them, having lived through the destruction they helped bring.

Ben Lockwood was dead, killed with several of his supporters early in the aftermath of Lex’s downfall when he chose to fight agents coming to arrest him. After that, other anti-alien leaders who were running surrendered without incident when they were found throughout the night. 

The ties with alien groups were going to be harder to break down to determine if anyone was guilty there. Lena was having Jess and a team chosen by her assistant keep an eye on any legal issues faced by reputable alien groups; Lena was posed to privately offer legal aid where needed given Lex had implicated them without cause.

At a pause in the opposition’s position statement that had been stated thrice so far, she gave the government’s lead lawyer an unimpressed look followed by a practiced response, “We can go around on this as many times as you want, but you’re not getting her. You know she was instrumental in defeating Lex Luthor when she was no longer under his influence. Her actions against the US government were egregious, but she was bent by her supposed benefactors. I can help her get over the type of conditioning she was exposed to, and then we can all talk about what will be forfeited. During treatment, she’ll be monitored, and elite security forces will be present with us. And I’m willing to accept the assistance or review of government experts; we’d negotiate frequency and location.”

The events leading up to this meeting and the hours in it were likely breaking everybody down and for the first time she heard a slip, a junior government lawyer with a _sotto voce_ “leaving a weapon like that in a Luthor’s hands again.”

Lena didn’t respond, indulging in a sip of water while allowing her lead attorney to bark at her counterpart, who glared at Lena’s attorney and then at his subordinate. He then consulted his secure connection where someone at a much higher pay-grade, and with much greater political clout, was injecting their ideas.

Lena sighed before sitting up and lightly clapping her hands together as she set them in front of her. She was so tired and so ready to be done and, yes, such a Luthor. All eyes turned to her.

“Let’s cut the crap. You don’t really want her out there right now. She disappeared weeks ago, and it would all go so much more smoothly for you if she stayed that way until things settle down. Only completely unsubstantiated rumors say there were two Supergirls involved in taking down Lex Luthor. You only know because those rumors are substantiated by one light-on-the-details, highly classified report. You could have been ignored completely, but I don’t want her hunted. I want to help her in peace. Supergirl, who IS the public hero of this story, sides with me on this. Let the Kaznian stay out of sight for a while. It would give you time to clean up other messes, like my brother who was supposedly under lock and key at a federal prison. There’s sufficient legal and political power in this room to make that happen. So, do it.”

Without another word, Lena got up and left, texting her driver on the way out.

She’d asked Linda about these next steps the night before, and Linda had agreed to them. They wouldn’t just work to reverse the conditioning, they would also look into insuring Linda was physiologically stable. But the government didn’t need to know about the latter, if they were still ignorant. The purple electricity, which likely originated from the harun-el, was another aspect to investigate.

Ninety minutes later her phone rang as she sat in L Corp, briefing Jess on what was about to happen. Her lead attorney was annoyed but victorious as she explained the conditions, including Lena being responsible for Linda while she was in her custody and the expectation Lena would surrender Linda if required. Lena couldn’t contain a laugh at the last part but weakly covered it with coughing to give her employee a break. She and Linda were free to go while a few remaining details were worked out. Lena expressed her gratitude, then hung up and turned back to wrap up with Jess.

Before meeting with the lawyers, Lena had talked to Sam, who’d agreed to a short-term posting in National City, after which the L Corp finance officer would work with another L Corp executive sharing interim duties. Lena wouldn’t completely check out; she intended to stay as involved as she could, though it would be remotely.

During Lena’s phone call with Sam on logistics and availability, her friend had posed a feeler question about what Kara thought about Lena’s extended leave. Lena had avoided it. She’d said enough to Sam over the years for her to have an idea that Lena might be an unrequited wreck, but Sam also respected Lena’s privacy, and the conversation moved on. Still, it was a strong reminder to Lena of what lay ahead.

Leaving L Corp, Lena drove back to the safehouse in record time. She’d only spent an hour there the previous night. At the time, Kara had been under the sunlamps at the DEO where Alex and Brainy were directing multiple operations. 

Lena had visited briefly with J’onn and Linda, who’d filled her in on what she’d missed in the confrontation with Lex and agreed to Lena’s idea about spiriting her away. Lena had been bluffing with the government about having Supergirl’s explicit support, but Linda’s future had been discussed and Kara had backed suggestions that resembled Lena’s arrangement.

After checking the house, she found J’onn and Linda outside, sitting on a boulder and chatting quietly under overcast, late-afternoon skies. As Lena walked up, she overheard enough to know Linda had talked to J’onn about her hoped-for change of scenery. It was likely others knew as well then, which would make next steps easier.

Both swiveled to greet her as she approached. Lena quickly updated them on the government’s agreement to let her take Linda and outlined the schedule. 

“Would that work for you?” she asked Linda. “I think it makes sense to depart as soon as we can, before anything odd can happen or anyone changes their mind.”

“I don’t have much to get ready,” Linda said almost shyly. She gestured to the track suit she was wearing for the first time since Lena found her. “This is all I came with, and there are a few other items in the lab. Whenever you think is best.”

J’onn had been observing them silently and now looked to Lena. “Let me know if you need anything,” he said.

“I will,” she replied, appreciating J'onn's concern. She directed her thumb back over her shoulder toward the house. “Has Kara been here?”

“She’s coming back soon,” Linda answered. 

Lena headed inside.

\--

As Kara approached the house, she spied Lena on the third-floor balcony. The setting reminded her of multiple conversations she’d had about life and its many options, bittersweet memories mixing with the trepidation over what was to come. This would be another such conversation.

Linda had discretely dropped her off in a DEO medical bay the night before, departing immediately per Brainy’s instructions. Brainy had arrived shortly after to help set up Kara under the sunlamps.

Kara had predicted others would join her. She just hadn’t thought about how that might not be everyone. As her body reenergized, Alex and J’onn had come by to talk. When she’d asked about Lena, she’d found out Lena had separated from them when Lex had been deposited into custody, alluding to matters she needed to attend to.

No one had heard from her since other than a text to Alex letting her know Lena was working on Linda’s situation. J’onn had kept Kara company for a short time before begging off to join Linda. Kara had relaxed enough after that to doze off, maximizing the lamps’ effects.

She’d spent the morning helping Brainy and Alex, who was truly back as director with Col. Haley’s recall to D.C. But Kara’s head kept trying to creep out of the game, and she’d left at mid-day to join Linda and J’onn. In her initial conversation with them, she’d learned about Lena’s plan.

She’d eventually found herself wandering the lab, looking over the disabled containment structure and the workstation where they’d tracked information and crunched numbers, thinking about the past week. Her thoughts had kept returning to this plan that could keep Linda safe and secluded until she was ready to deal with this world that she was now a part of. But Lena would be going with her.

A call for some perfunctory help with an alien group had taken her away, of course, shortly before Lena had finally shown up.

She’d made her decision then and needed to follow through now with opening up before Lena left.

Kara descended to hover just off of the balcony. Lena, noticing her immediately, waved her in.

A heaviness was in the air between them as Kara landed, but she ignored it to take a step closer, the separation through the mission and recovery yesterday strengthening Lena’s draw. She wondered if the events had affected Lena too. 

She got her answer as Lena stepped to her without a word and embraced her. Kara closed her eyes and hugged back with relief.

“You looked awful yesterday,” Lena whispered next to Kara’s ear.

Kara laughed quietly and answered at a similar volume, “Yeah I did. I look better now though?”

“Much,” Lena breathed out. “I’m glad you’re alright.” Regardless of what came next between them, she was truly happy to see Kara intact. Seeing Supergirl in danger had always caused a certain alarm but yesterday had been a new experience in anxiety.

The tension reappeared when they backed apart, but it had eased, and both felt that palpable familiarity of care for each other between them now.

Lena gazed out from the balcony, but Kara kept her eyes on Lena, broaching the subject between them, “You’re leaving with Linda today.”

Lena turned her head, surprised. “Who told you what happened?”

“No one. I anticipated the outcome the minute I heard what you were doing. You’re almost impossible to stop when you’re determined. I knew lawyers and politicians didn’t stand a chance against you,” Kara finished, giving a small, supportive smile.

Kara’s faith in her caused a mild internal flailing and a sadness that she wouldn’t be hearing that directly for a while. “I have to do this,” she explained. “I owe it to Linda with the path of destruction my brother blazed through her life. I have the resources to remove her from all of this and bring in experts to work with her on the areas I can’t cover. I want to help her.”

Kara swallowed, trying to clear the lump in her throat. She’d known, but it was still hard to hear. “I understand.”

“And I want to thank you,” Lena continued, “for working with me in taking down Lex.”

“We were all in it together. There was nowhere else I was going to be.”

Lena hummed an acknowledgement.

“I know you need to take care of Linda,” Kara jumped back to that topic. “That’s just part of who you are. I will miss you.”

Lena tensed, a sharp hiss of an inhale through her nose the outward manifestation of a spasm of sorrow at Kara’s last words, and a desire to respond.

Kara held up a hand. “Please. There’s something more I’d like to say.”

Lena settled back, leaving the space for Kara to continue as she lowered her hand back to the railing.

“I know that we have things to work through, and I hope we can. But I need to be honest that there’s been something more going on with me, for a while now. I understood this,” Kara flicked two fingers to the sigil, “was between us. And when I would think that maybe telling you wouldn’t lead to more problems for you, a super-powered threat or an evil takeover would come along, and I’d be back to distancing myself from you because that was the right thing to do. And that would leave another layer of ‘times I lied to Lena’ sitting between us. And, beneath it all, my feelings for you were growing, and they weren’t just platonic.”

Kara almost stopped at the sharp crease that appeared between Lena’s eyebrows, the small wave that moved across her lips. But Kara wanted to be brave. 

“Those confused how I handled this, they made me more fearful of losing you. Because you have become so important to me. I don’t expect anything from you in return. How amazing I find you isn’t going to change with any response from you. But I wanted to explain. I wanted you to know that.”

Lena worked to relax her startled expression, to let the emotions she was processing at Kara’s words through. She hadn’t expected such a confession, but it was resonating with her in a way she couldn’t side-step. She looked back at Kara with the weight of her feelings in her eyes. 

“I’ve thought about something more with you for a while,” Lena admitted. “I’ve been interested.”

An “Oh” slipped from Kara. An excitement at the confirmation that she hadn’t imagined those looks she’d seen and the pitch she’d hear in Lena’s voice passed through her.

“And I appreciate your honesty about,” Lena motioned between them. “But I’ve let people I love who hurt me remain close, and I’ve paid a price for it. I want to make sure that wherever this relationship goes, I’m doing the right thing for myself and for us, because you’re important to me too. I need some time to work that out. Then, I think we should talk, if you still want to.”

Kara swallowed hard at the abrupt return to reality. “I want what’s right for us, too,” she said. “And I’ll want to talk, whenever you do.”

Lena tore her eyes away from Kara, remembering all of the past times when Kara had worked to make things right with so many situations and people. She had to take the step to separate them, because they did both need time, and she was afraid she might falter if she didn’t look elsewhere.

“Linda’s ready,” Lena said. “I was delaying our departure, hoping to talk to you before we left. I’m glad we were able to.”

“You’re leaving now,” Kara stated, shifting on her feet.

“I think it’s wise,” Lena responded. “I know Linda would appreciate it if you checked in with her before we go. I’ll let her know where to meet me when you two are done talking.”

She reached over and covered Kara’s hand on the railing, pressing on it gently. “Goodbye, Kara.”

Kara flipped her hand over and pressed back into Lena’s palm. “Goodbye, Lena.”

Knowing that all that could be said for now had been said, Lena pulled her hand back and walked back into the house.

\--

3 MONTHS LATER

Kara steadied her hand, finally lining up the key and inserting it into the lock. She’d been at CatCo for the last 24 hours, working with Nia to finalize an investigative piece on the hate groups that had shown themselves so readily in the last year and were still a concern. The Children of Liberty and their closest associates had been disbanded, unable to hold together with the loss of leadership and funding and the glaring spotlight turned on them. The article covered them but focused even more on other, less well-known organizations, bringing them to the public’s attention.

She almost fell into her apartment, the paltry amount of food she’d eaten affecting her at least as much as the lack of sleep. She was ready to get out of her business attire of grey slacks and teal silk blouse and into a shower. That plan was waylaid by the scents of red lentil curry, butter chicken, and warm bread assaulting her nose and immediately causing her mouth to water.

Alex rose from the couch, casual in a red sweater, black jeans, and socks. “You’re home,” she crowed happily, walking towards Kara. “I was about to put dinner away and leave you a note.”

“I could say the same thing,” Kara pointed out, hanging her jacket and bag and slipping off her pumps. “When did you get back?” 

She headed straight for plates and glasses, grabbing Alex in a one-armed hug as she passed and dragging her along. “Tell me over dinner. I’m starving and I love you for bringing food.”

Alex accepted her plate and let Kara get situated with her own pile of food. When they were both sitting, Alex filled her in on the four days with Linda and Lena she’d just returned from. It was her second trip to see them, the purpose of both primarily to work with Linda on seeing if there was anything in her psyche beyond her amorphous connection to Alex, and secondarily to help on the medical side. One side effect of the encounters had been faster-than-expected improvement in Alex’s own memories as she dug for things with Linda.

“So, Linda’s doing well?” Kara asked, passing over a napkin.

“Mentally and emotionally she’s making unexpected progress,” Alex said with enthusiasm. “She’s been working through the trauma and anger and the therapists have been impressed. She may not have many memories, but she is certainly making them and challenging her mind constantly. She’s leading a very full life.”

“And physically?” Kara prodded, voicing a major worry among all of them.

“Stable so far,” Alex replied. “From all of Lena’s monitoring, she’s developed a working theory.” She paused to snag a piece of rapidly-disappearing chicken.

“Which is…?”

“Linda is you, but the underlying physiology was changed by the harun-el when she was split. Lena thinks the yellow sun gives her powers but also destabilizes her biochemically over time. Harun-el injections can repair that but it’s not clear if that will work indefinitely.”

Kara swallowed her bite of paratha. “Where’s that leave her?”

“Linda’s using the theory as incentive to travel. She’s talked about leaving the solar system when her other issues have been addressed. She expressed an interest in going to Argo first.” Alex gave Kara a pointed look, interested in Kara’s reaction. “They know about harun-el, they understand Kryptonian biology, they don’t have a yellow sun, and she would be sort of with family.”

Kara sat back from the island at that, contemplating the idea. “Really?”

“She doesn’t necessarily see it as a place to remain, but she’s interested in visiting.”

Kara had heard parts of Alex’s stories before from the brief weekly updates on Linda that Lena had started to send her about a month ago, following Alex’s first visit. The Argo details were completely new.

“We can check with Alura,” Kara said after mulling it over for a minute. “Linda could find a place on Argo, if that’s what she wants to explore. One of our main goals is helping her find connections to give her a sense of belonging.”

“No concerns?” Alex raised an eyebrow.

“We’ll see what develops. For now, I trust the assessment of trained professionals,” Kara answered. She feigned a dubious look for Alex. “And you and Lena too, I guess.”

Alex frisbeed an ill-aimed flatbread at her dinner partner. She also felt a touch of relief that Kara could joke about Lena. The first month Lena had been gone had been rough on Kara, but it had smoothed out, and Lena’s decision to re-establish contact recently had helped. From what Alex was privy to during her visits, Lena was doing her own soul-searching and therapy, working to process what had happened with her brother and with Kara in the context of her complicated life and the coping skills established during it.

Kara stood back up from retrieving food from the floor to ask with forced nonchalance, “How is she?”

Alex didn’t have to ask who. “Lena was more open this trip. She seems like she’s…healing may be the right word. She’s lighter, more self-assured.” Alex dropped the piece of information that she hoped would make her little sister happy. “She wants to see you. I gave her my watch and warned her to give me time to visit with you before using it.”

Initial surprise was overtaken by uncertainty mixing uncomfortably with longing in Kara. “Do you know why?”

“You know we really don’t discuss the two of you. But I think she’s ready to talk. And if you are too, I think you should go.”

\--

The signal beeped at Kara several hours later. She appreciated the respite because even her nervousness hadn’t been able to defeat her exhaustion. She’d fallen asleep on the couch right after dinner, when Alex had told her she’d clean up and Kara should relax. Pulling herself from slumber, she raced into her suit and out the window.

Lena waited on the wraparound porch of a perfectly normal looking raised ranch house that harbored numerous top-notch security measures, watching the sky for a streak of color. 

She’d missed Kara immensely during her time away, but she knew now she’d gotten the timing right. Her work with Linda and the time she’d spent on herself had allowed her to see and deal with some important truths about herself, her best friend, and their relationship. She was ready to address those and to see if she could have the person that had shone so brightly in her life back, and where they might go.

A board creaked, pulling her out of her headspace. “She’s almost here,” Linda said from behind her. “Don’t be nervous.”

Lena had kept her feelings for Kara close to the vest over these months, but Linda had pulled a few things from her and deduced a few more. She looked back at her friend with an uncertain smile.

“She can be foolish, but she’s not a fool,” Linda assured. “And you’re ready.”

Lena turned back just in time for a red and blue flash to solidify into Kara landing with flair. The cape snap was particularly dashing. After a glance back, Lena stepped off the porch and headed over to Kara, leaving Linda leaning back against the screen door.

Kara felt a familiar rush of heat on her face as Lena walked toward her wearing a belted blue maxi dress and nothing on her feet. She realized that she was going to tower over her in the suit’s boots and told herself sharply to pull it together.

“Hi,” she managed to say without her voice cracking from the emotions hitting her. 

“Hi,” Lena returned as she stopped in front of Kara. “Is everything okay? It took you a while.”

Kara shrugged, exuding a what-can-you-do attitude as she explained, “Alex has asked me not to go supersonic if it’s not an emergency. I did fly in and out of the atmosphere to get here more quickly.”

Kara’s casual comment indicating her desire to get here flooded Lena with affection. She was close enough now, and she reached out for Kara’s hanging hand and pulled her into a hug. She blinked back tears as she pressed against Kara, feeling Kara’s arms tighten low around her ribs and hearing a sniffle come from the superhero.

“I’m sorry,” Kara felt it needed to be said again, separated by time and space from those decisions. She wanted to let Lena know she took full responsibility for her actions and their consequences and understood the journey still ahead of them. 

“I know, and I am too,” Lena answered, glancing back over her shoulder at Linda, who gave her a discrete thumbs up and pulled the screen door open to head inside. “I understand more now, about you and about myself.”

Kara tracked Lena’s movement and looked to the same place.

When Lena turned back, she loosened her arms and stepped back to get a better view of Kara’s expression.

“What’s that look?” Lena asked, confused. The possibility popped into her mind. “Wait, are you jealous?”

“That would be ridiculous,” Kara tried for dismissive confidence to hide embarrassment at being questioned like she had been by Alex, and for the same reason. Because she kind of was, but not of some romantic rival. She almost pulled it off.

Almost, Lena’s raised eyebrow and teasing tone told her as she informed Kara, “Well, she is quite charming.”

Kara ducked her head at the gentle call-out but didn’t deny it. “She’s gotten to hang out with you for three months. And she can hear everything we say.”

“If she wants to, yes she can,” Lena said with a smirk before placing a finger under Kara’s chin to carefully lift her head up and get her to look at her again. When Kara complied, she went on, “But I asked you here, because you’re the one I want to listen to what I’m saying. You’re the one I want to talk about my relationship with. You’re the one I care about, in a way I haven’t cared about anyone before.”

With that, Kara realized Lena’s sole focus was on her. And it sounded as if she, like Kara, still had a considerable emotional investment. She visibly shivered at the implications.

Seeing the reaction, Lena hurried to walk back the way she’d just gushed, to explain herself.

“My time with Linda is one of the reasons you’re here,” she started. “You and I were friends, but there were parts of you I never knew. When I found that out, what hurt was that those had been kept from me, that I hadn’t been trusted. I didn’t think about what was contained in those parts, why you hid them and how they influenced your decisions. 

“I think I have a better understanding now of what you keep to yourself, what you’ve gone through. Linda didn’t share; she doesn’t have the memories. But spending time with her gave me clues about what it’s like for you - developing and dealing with your powers, having to always be in control, the responsibilities and the decisions. And the way Linda gravitates to Alex, the bond you must have formed with your sister for that to have stuck with her when little else seems to have come through, the level of care between you two… It all suggests such a wrenching history. And yet what you do every day is champion optimism and hope. And hide important parts of yourself while doing that. It’s all a part of you. It’s ingrained in a way I didn’t realize. What happened wasn’t the personal attack I thought it was.”

“I have had to hide myself,” Kara agreed. “But I did lose track of you in that. I won’t do that again. And I would like the chance to prove that to you, if we can move forward.”

Lena reached up to cup Kara’s cheek. “I want to. You’re the one I grew with in the past three years. Not always together, but even apart, I learned from you. We’ve built something substantial, despite not always being forthright. I thought it might be compromised beyond repair, but it isn’t. Understanding more about where your choices came from helped me see that. If we can be honest …”

“I can,” Kara jumped in quickly. “You’ve pushed me too, to be better, to grow. I don’t want to give up on this.”

“I appreciate your enthusiasm,” Lena said with a chuckle, her hand falling away. “And it’s a we. I’m in it with you.”

Kara noticed Lena’s hands trembling slightly by her side. She caught each of them with hers and held them.

“I’m not leaving here for at least another month. We’re still dealing with the aftermath of Lex.” Lena looked down at their joined hands and then up at Kara shyly, encouraging herself to be vulnerable in getting the request out. “I was wondering if you would visit. When you can. We have a lot to talk about.”

Kara ducked her head so their foreheads rested against each other. “Nothing would make me happier,” she said, her heart beating with warmth and hope at the request. “I haven’t felt this way before either.”

“I know it might take a while to get there,” Lena whispered, softening with Kara’s declaration, “but I want you to know, you can tell me anything.”

The statement sat between them as they both settled into a changed dynamic.

“There is something I want to start with,” Kara said, leaning back to look at Lena, eyes earnest.

Lena gave her a curious look and waited.

Kara squeezed Lena’s hands gently, trying to communicate her gratitude that they could stand here together ready to move forward, possibly on the brink of something more between them. This gesture would be small, but significant. “My name,” she said, “it’s Kara Zor-El.”

Lena’s eyes went wide, then narrowed again with the grin that lifted her cheeks. She leaned in, watching Kara the whole time. When Kara responded with a welcoming smile, Lena lifted off her heels and placed a light kiss on the edge of Kara’s lips. As the kiss ended, Lena breathed out, “Well, Kara Zor-El, it’s nice to meet you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story got bigger than I expected. Thanks for reading along and supporting and kudos/comments.


End file.
